Soul Heir
by RaMa
Summary: Ranma dinally does it. He solves the fiancé-mess, pacifies his friends grudges and everyone retains his honor. Everything is going to be perfect. Of course, he still has to figure out a way to come back from the dead...
1. The Gordic maneuer

Know it sounds funny but I just can't stand the pain  
  
Girl I'm leaving you tomorrow  
  
Seems to me girl you know I've done all I can  
  
You see I begged, stole and I borrowed  
  
Yeah  
  
That's why I'm easy  
  
I'm easy like Sunday morning  
  
That's why I'm easy  
  
I'm easy like Sunday morning  
  
I wanna be high  
  
So high  
  
I wanna be free to know the things I do are right  
  
I wanna be free  
  
Just me  
  
Oh baby  
  
That's why I'm easy  
  
I'm easy like Sunday morning  
  
That's why I'm easy  
  
I'm easy like Sunday morning  
  
('Easy' Faith-no-more Version)  
  
Soul Heir  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
Chapter 1. The Gordic-Maneuver  
  
  
  
"This sucks.." Ranma muttered darkly as he dragged his battered body back home. His clothes were in tatters, his face bruised and out of his ruffled mop of hair small spatulas stuck out like some strange ornament. To top things off it had just started to rain. Feeling the water trigger the all too familiar transformation he directed a baleful eye at the gray clouds as if he suspected to see a mocking face up there, laughing at his expense.  
  
"Yeah, go on, have some fun with the freak...!" he called challengingly to the celestial nuisance. The heavens, as was their usual behavior, didn't reply and so, after a minute of standing there, he let out a disgusted snort and continued on his way to the Tendo residence, cursing his father, his engagements and, maybe most of all, his own inability to do anything about them.  
  
"So, son. Have you finally managed to convince that Kuonji girl to drop the engagement?" Soun asked hopefully as Ranma slumped unceremonially into a corner of the living room and started to treat his wounds.  
  
"Does it look like I did?" Ranma growled back, making a show out of plucking the spatulas from his scalp. "Anyway, I'd really like to know why it's my job to sort out this mess. I mean, most of it is pop's fault and I don't see him get beat up or nothing..."  
  
"Gee, Ranma," Nabiki quipped from where she sat, reading a manga, "do you already want to give up? Of course, you have been trying to convince your little harem to give up on you for what, three months? Maybe it's time to cut the losses and ask for professional help..!" The last part she said with a grin that would have caused the Cheshire-cat to hide in the woods.  
  
"Yeah, right." He replied without much excitement. "And probably stay in your debt for the rest of my life? Nah, thanks sooo much."  
  
"But son!" Soun wailed (wail Nr. 7329: 'Protection from getting the crap beat out of me for saying something that will get people mad but they won't hit a pathetic loser.') "Do you want to keep Akane waiting forever? Oh ye gods, my little girl will be old and gray before you marry her!" He quickly changed his wail to Nr. 6113, not that anyone noticed the difference.  
  
"Hey," Ranma shot back out of reflex, "who said I want to marry that.. " He paused for a second, suddenly out of words. Or, more specifically, out of appropriate words. Since that failed wedding he had found that stuff like 'uncute', 'sexless' or 'build like a brick' conflicted with memories of a wedding-dress and a smile and left a bitter taste in his mouth whenever he used them. "..tomboy." he finished lamely, clinging to one of the last of his usual names for her . After all, it still described her pretty well, even though he suspected that he didn't really mind that little fact.  
  
"Ranma, that's not a very nice thing to say," Nabiki chided him casually, "especially if said 'tomboy' can hear you..."  
  
"Huh?" he asked intelligently, registering for the first time the buildup of an all too familiar aura right next to him. And true to Nabiki's words, when he turned his head, the hurt expression of his local fiancée greeted him.  
  
"Is that so?" Akane asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "Well, then you sure don't want this either.." With that she poured the steaming contents of the kettle she carried over his head, returning him to his male form. "..or this.." she added, slapping a towel into his face. Then she turned on her heels, stomping out of the room under the scrutinizing stares of her family and the guilty one of her fiancé. Soon after she had left, a door slammed shut upstairs. As if woken up by the sound, life started to return to the living-room.  
  
"Gee, what's with her lately?" Nabiki asked no one in particular. "It's nice that she's keeping the repair-costs at a minimum but it's getting scary nonetheless."  
  
Ranma didn't bother to answer the question, though he had a pretty good idea about the 'why'. Instead, he toweled his head mechanically as he stared into the distance, lost in thought.  
  
Kasumi stepped out onto the porch just as the sun waved a last farewell over the rooftops of Nerima, painting the sky with a dark-red taint. Drying the last of the dishwater from her hands via her apron, she watched the spectacle only partially aware of its beauty, as her mind was busy with other matters. Even without looking, she knew that Ranma would be sitting to her right, watching the Koi-pond in introspection. This had become his habit for the last couple of weeks. Ever since he had taken up the duty to straighten out his engagements and corresponding entanglements, as he had been told to do after the failed wedding, he had become quieter, tenser and his frustration showed more and more. Kasumi hated to see him like that. To her it seemed unfair that this young man had to carry a burden he had never been taught to deal with, while the one who should have taught him to, and mainly responsible for the whole mess, lounged in the living-room without any apparent concern in the world. But even though Kasumi seemed oblivious most of the time, and maybe was, even she wasn't truly surprised about one Genma Saotome happily ignoring troubled times like these. No, there was no help to be expected from the senior male of the Saotome-clan, or, she had to admit, the Tendo-clan either. So, as the female senior of her family, she saw it as her duty, if nothing else, to support Ranma in the only way she knew how to, by supplying him with a friendly ear and a smile.  
  
"You know," she said in a reminiscing voice, "Mom used to sit in the same place whenever she needed to think. She always said that the best ideas travel on the back of a jumping Koi."  
  
"Dunno," Ranma replied quietly, showing no signs of surprise from her presence, "maybe she fetched all the good ones already. The ones I got turned out pretty bad."  
  
"Would you tell me about it?" she asked politely, staying put in her place as to not project a feeling of intrusion. Ranma turned his head and looked up at her, a slight frown on his otherwise blank face, clearly weighting the pros and cons of her request. Finally he nodded, gesturing for her to sit down by his side.  
  
"I've been over at 'Ucchan's' today," he began once Kasumi sat comfortably. "Mom had me make Ukyou an offer about paying for the yattai, with dues and all. She even offered to adopt her into our clan in case that her family wouldn't agree. I really hoped that Ukyou would go for it, but she didn't." He absently fingered one of the bumps on his head. "Nope, she definitely didn't like it."  
  
Touched a particularly sour spot he winced, cursing under his breath.  
  
"I mean it's stupid! She knows that I can't marry her..."  
  
His voice trailed of for a second as his feet seemed to draw in all of his attention. Then, with a sigh, he continued.  
  
"Ok, I could, in theory. But then I would have to deal with the amazons and the.., and your family first. And with Shampoo it's just the same thing. She's insisting on that stupid law of hers and telling me that she never can go home without me as her husband. Two weeks ago I even lost to Mousse in a fight just to give her an opening! I mean, honestly! That guy is all nuts about her while I would never make a .. What do they call it? ..proper amazon male? Yeah right, that's me…"  
  
For a second, that mocking smirk that had become his trademark returned to his face. Just a second, and then the resigned was back.  
  
"Anyway, it was hard enough to make it look halfway descent, and what does she do? Tells me that her stupid law doesn't apply because he ain't no outsider!"  
  
"You lost to Mouse? Willingly?" Kasumi asked, slight surprise in her voice from knowing Ranma's usual view concerning defeat. "You are very serious about this, aren't you?"  
  
"Desperate is more like it.." Ranma replied with a wry chuckle. "Doesn't change one fact though. Neither Ukyou nor Shampoo are going to give up on me anytime soon." Having said that, he fell silent again. They both just sat and watched the Koi for a while. Then Kasumi asked the unavoidable question.  
  
"What about Akane?"  
  
"What about her?" Ranma returned the question in a slightly uneasy tone.  
  
"Do you want to get out of our families arrangements too?" Kasumi's asked, sounding equally uneasy.  
  
"Does it matter?" he replied, "With our dads supporting that engagement I really don't see any way out of it."  
  
He almost jumped up in surprise by the soft touch of Kasumi's hand on his shoulder. Turning his head towards her, he noticed a sad expression on her face, so very unlike her usual smile.  
  
"It matters, Ranma. For you as well as for Akane. And I'm sure, if you told her that you need to get out of the engagement, .." She sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. ".. I'm sure she would support you."  
  
"Yeah, bet she would.." Ranma snorted, somewhat unnerved by Kasumi's unusual behavior. Noticing the frown starting to mar her usual calm features, he almost backpedaled.  
  
"Ranma!" she chided him, although softly, "you know that she would support you. Even if it would hurt her. Whatever your choice, Akane will do her best to help you.. and so will I."  
  
They stared at one another in silence for several long moments, until Ranma hung his head in apparent defeat.  
  
"I know," he finally admitted, "but even then there would still be too much mess left.."  
  
"That's true," Kasumi agreed sadly, "but there simply has to be a way to sort everything out."  
  
"Sure," Ranma remarked with a shrug. "I just hope I find one soon…"  
  
---  
  
Ranma's current determination to clean up some of the chaos in his life, namely his multiple engagements, had one unexpected side-effect. His scores in school improved. This was mainly caused by the fact that he actually listened to what the teacher talked about, even if it was simply to get his mind from running in circles. It's a well known fact that if you think too much about one and the same problem you get kind of stuck in the way you look at them. A little distraction goes a long way in giving you a new perspective and right now, that distraction was schoolwork. If anybody had told Ranma three months ago that he would concentrate on mathematics or history to clear his mind he would have surely laughed out loud. But right now, the teachers constant droning about the Togukawa-period was balm for Ranma's frayed nerves. Even if he would probably remember less than half of the stated names and dates in the coming test.  
  
Ranma wasn't the only person in class who's mind was in dire need of distraction. One such person went by the name of Kuonji Ukyou, a.k.a. Ranma's 'cute' fiancée. Right at the moment she was still pretty pissed from Ranma's latest try of 'getting rid of her' as she called it. She didn't know why he would do something like that, or rather, she chose to ignore his more probable reasons. Like he actually might not want to marry her. Such a thought was nonsense in her book after all. So she tried to think of a more plausible reason to explain his deeds. Like his parents had brainwashed or used a potion on him or this was just an evil clone and her 'Ran-chan' waited for her to rescue him, locked up in some dusty basement. Or maybe some mind-controlling aliens were conducting a strange and dangerous experiment to test the strength of human love... Those musings didn't get her anywhere, and in the end Ukyou realized that she had better listened to the teacher. Dull as history might be, there would soon be a test after all.  
  
While we're taking stock of troubled minds, it would be rude to forget about Tendo Akane, the other 'official' fiancée of Ranma. This was a little curious because she obviously should be happy. After all, she was currently leading the polls of who would be the most likely girl to finally make the catch. And Ranma was about to convince the other girls to give up on him too, right? And he didn't insult her as much as he used to, right? And because of this he didn't spend that much time freeloading in two certain restaurants anymore, right? So if everything is coming up roses, where's the catch? Well, in Akane's case, the catch was that even though matters seemed to be improving generally, she still didn't know for sure where she stood with her fiancé. With him spending most of his time brooding and only talking to her about small stuff, if he talked at all, she simply couldn't tell if he did any of this to be with her, or if he would one day simply walk up to her while he was at it and end their engagement too. Because, deep down, Akane feared the day when Ranma would grow some serious backbone. After all, given her record of temper-tantrums and malletings, as well as her general lack of domestic-skills generally looked after in a prospective bride, she deemed herself justified for a little worrying.  
  
The were even more people then just those three who were unhappy or uneasy with the current situation, like Shampoo and therefore by association Mousse and Cologne. Konatsu too was worried and the Kunos were frigging mad, but seriously, that didn't draw much attention. The only one not affected by the general sense of uneasiness and bad portents was Ryoga, but then again, he didn't hang around Nerima much off late so how could he. But seeing that he was currently on his way to the Unryuu-farm it was only a matter of time until he showed up at the Tendo-residence. Predictable, ain't he?  
  
---  
  
School was finally out and all the good children were going home. So were Ranma and Akane for that matter. They walked side by side in silence, Ranma with his head down and a thoughtful expression marring his features, Akane worriedly eyeing her distracted fiancé. But with this being the Nerima district, certain standards had to be upheld and so, soon enough, the silence got shattered by an ear-piercing scream.  
  
"Where on earth am I nowww!!!"  
  
The screamer didn't have to introduce himself any further, both of them recognized the voice immediately.  
  
"That sounded like Ryoga," Akane said, snapping out of her observation.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed distractedly, "sounds like it came from over there."  
  
He pointed at a small park by the roadside.  
  
Akane grabbed him by the arm, dragging him towards the indicated direction.  
  
"Come on," she told him, "let's have a look. Maybe we can help him out."  
  
"Yeah right," Ranma grumbled as he followed her reluctantly, "it's not like giving him directions would do any good."  
  
"Oh shut up, will ya," Akane shot back, "just because he gets lost easily doesn't have to say that he's hopeless. Contrary to other people I could name..."  
  
"Ah yeah? And that's supposed to mean what..?"  
  
Some couples like to exchange pleasantries, some couples like to exchange smiles and touches and some simply like to argue.  
  
'Well,' Akane thought while trading barbs, 'at least he's talking to me.'  
  
Ryoga was once again trying desperately to figure out how the discrepancy between his map and the space he currently occupied had come to pass. Even with the trees and grass around him this didn't really look like rural Honshu. He was just about to stop and ask some passerby to explain the location when he recognized the arguing couple closing in on him. Now, it had been previously stated that Ryoga lacked information about the latest proceedings and so, while he was glad to see two familiar faces he was equally pissed off by their conduct. Or, to be precise, Ranma's conduct. After all, given Ryoga's view of Akane, how could she do anything wrong? This might be based on the fact that after all, Ryoga still had a thing for Akane. Or two. Or three. Still, after what happened in China, he had resigned to the simple equation of 'Ranma + Akane = 1 couple' and by his estimation, they should have started to act like one about three months ago. And if they didn't, this had to be Ranma's fault. Simple, isn't it?  
  
Ranma, for his part, enjoyed the occasional arguments he had with his tomboyish fiancée. They had changed a little since their return from China and that bogus-wedding. They used fewer of their old ACME-insults (you know, 'uncute', 'pervert', 'built like a brick', 'jerk') and instead had started to treat them like a real fight, complete with blocks and sweeps and special-techniques.) Sounds scary? Maybe, but it wasn't that bad. Actually, in forcing themselves to use their brains instead of standardized responses in a dispute it actually resulted in a lot less structural and emotional damage. They had even ended with some kind of mutual understanding or an apology once or twice. So for Ranma, arguing with Akane was one of the brighter parts of his day, and he didn't really think twice of doing so right in front of his second-favorite sparing-partner.  
  
"Hello Ryoga!" Akane called out, waving at the fanged boy across a small expand of lawn. "Over here!"  
  
"Your sure he gonna make it all the way on his own?" Ranma remarked dryly.  
  
"Oh come on, he's not Mousse. He can see me."  
  
"Ain't got that much to say with him. See?"  
  
Akane frowned as Ryoga tried to reach them via a small crop of trees to their left.  
  
"Ah, shut up." she hissed before calling out loud again. "Over here Ryoga!"  
  
"Gee, this could take all day," Ranma remarked as the fanged-boy turned in the opposite direction.  
  
"Then why don't you go and bring him over?" Akane demanded to know .  
  
"'Cause it's been your idea to come here, " he replied casually. "Me, I would have more important stuff to do right now."  
  
"Like what? Dinner?"  
  
"Hey, why not? A hard-working guy like me needs to eat regularly."  
  
"Sure, as long as it's not me doing the cooking."  
  
"When I said 'eat', I had actual food in mind, you know."  
  
"Oh, and what I'm cooking ain't food? Is that what your hinting at?"  
  
"Only as long as you stick to that curry-recipe of yours. The other stuff is mostly toxic."  
  
"How do you know? It's not as if you ever actually eat any of it."  
  
"Well, maybe that's because I usually pass out after the first bite..."  
  
While those two had their fun bickering, Ryoga actually managed to reach them all on his own. And being of a chivalrous nature, he just had to come to Akane's defense of course.  
  
"Ranma," he growled, "you take that back!"  
  
"Huh?" the addressed boy asked back, "take what back?"  
  
"Whatever you said to insult Akane!" Ryoga shot back, unfazed by own his lack of information.  
  
"It's ok, Ryoga," Akane tried to intervene, putting a hand on his shoulder, "it's been nothing serious."  
  
"You heard her," Ranma added sourly, one eyebrow raised because of the show of intimacy before him, even if it was rather harmless in nature. "No need to butt in..."  
  
Ryoga glared back at him, baring his impressive set of teeth.  
  
"Do you expect me to stand idly by while you treat Akane like this?"  
  
"Oh, and what exactly would you advice I treat her like?" Ranma asked back with a smirk, knowing full well what kind of answer to expect.  
  
"Damn you, Ranma," Ryoga growled, really getting into it now, "You should be nice to her treat her with respect! In case you haven't noticed yet, she's your fiancée!"  
  
"Gee," Ranma deadpanned with a dismissive wave of his hand, "if I'd be nice to every girl I'm engaged to, who'd be left to tease?"  
  
Wrooong thing to say.  
  
Ranma ran as if all hounds of hell were after him and actually, that wasn't too far from the truth.  
  
Skidding around a corner he dared to take a look back and take stock of his pursuers. There was Akane for starters, waving her infamous mallet in the air, and Ryoga with his trusty umbrella raised high. Then there was Kuno, a live-steel blade in his hand as was his habit since the wedding. They had passed by him on the street and he never needed any more invitation to join the hunt. Next came Shampoo with her bonbori. Ranma had barreled into her during his flight and for some strange reason she had taken offence in that. Maybe he shouldn't have stepped on her face, but hey, that hadn't happened on purpose. And as Shampoo was there, Mousse was there too, alternating between his professions of love for the lethal amazon and his prophecies of doom for her fleeing 'Airen'. Last but not least came Ukyou with her massive spatula. This made Ranma realized that it had been a bad idea to take the shortcut through her restaurant with all those loonies in tow. It had produced quite a commotion in there, and lately she hadn't been too happy with him to boot. But what the heck, the more, the merrier.  
  
To tell the truth, Ranma actually enjoyed those chases, with everyone after him and he always staying just that one step ahead. It was good training after all, and it was in those moments, when the rush of adrenaline pushed aside everything idle and unimportant, that he was able to think the clearest. And man, did he need to think. So his body ran down streets and jumped over fences, acting on a mostly automated program fine-tuned over the years, when inspiration suddenly struck him like an eighteen-wheeler going a hundred miles an hour.  
  
This was his life, right?  
  
Everyone wanted a piece of him but he would never let himself be caught, always staying just that aforementioned step ahead.  
  
Therefor the hunt would go on. And on. And on.  
  
Because his pursuers would never give up.  
  
And he was unlikely to give in.  
  
On the other hand he had promised to sort out this mess. Well, kind of promised. He hadn't argued against the order to stop it, so there. He had even made a couple of frustratingly futile attempts to accommodate them.  
  
So yes, his honor demanded he made an end to this perpetual hunt.  
  
And if those that hounded him couldn't be convinced to end this on his terms, he had no choice but to end it on theirs, right?  
  
Even if he wasn't too keen on giving in to anyone.  
  
But then again, this were his friends he was talking about. It's not so bad to give in to your friends, right? So there.  
  
Now, what was it what everyone wanted?  
  
What would he get if he reduced everyone's problem to a common denominator?  
  
Oh..!  
  
Figures..  
  
At least, in his the current situation, he didn't have to worry about how to get them all together in one place.  
  
Ranma laughed out loud, a hysteric undertone mixing into what should have been a carefree expression of joy. Everything was so simple, really.  
  
That's probably why he hadn't seen it before.  
  
There was an empty lot in the vicinity of the Tendo-dojo. Everyone in Nerima had at least heard some stories about this place. It had quite the reputation. Here, duels between some of the finest martial-artists Japan had ever produced had taken place. Between some of the weirdest too. This place had seen magic and monsters, princes and heroes and all in all, it had a larger amusement value than most of Tokyo's cinema-complexes combined.  
  
It was a traditional places for the local martial-artists community to begin things, or to end them. Once and for all. So it simply was the most logical place for Ranma to lead the pack to. After all, he had a little bit of a traditionalist inside him.  
  
Once he got there, he immediately moved to the center of the area and turned to face his pursuers.  
  
Seeing their quarry obviously preparing to make a stand, the mob stumbled to a halt, a little confused by the sudden change of tactics.  
  
Ranma simply looked at each one of them in turn, his infamous smirk firmly in place.  
  
"What's the matter," he called out mockingly, "suddenly shy? Come and get me! If you can!"  
  
They didn't need much more coercing to proceed where they had left off, namely rushing at him.  
  
Except for Akane, that is.  
  
She stayed put in her place, her mallet tightly in front of her chest and a confused frown on her face. She liked to bash her wayward fiancé as much as the next man, but this time something felt wrong. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.  
  
Was it the way he had looked at them?  
  
His posture?  
  
The slightly off sound of his voice when taunting them?  
  
She just couldn't tell, but suddenly she had a very bad feeling about all this.  
  
He moved like a cat. Like and incredibly strong, incredibly graceful cat. She couldn't tell him this, for obvious reasons, but a cat was the animal he had always reminded her off most. One moment buckling and hissing, the next dosing in a sunny spot. His only worry in the world where his next meal would come from. Just like those animals he despised the most. That thing about the Nekko-ken really was a shame. He probably would have been a cat-person otherwise. Akane wondered for a moment why she was thinking along those lines while her fiancé was actually fighting off about half a dozen powerful martial-artist bristling with deadly weaponry. She should be out there, screaming for them to stop this lunacy at once. Or maybe she should end this fight like she always did, with a mallet to Ranma's head. But somehow she could only watch in fascination, feeling strangely detached from the whole ordeal. Just an observer on the sidelines, neither cheering for the one side or the other. Anyway, what were the chances that they actually succeeded in even touching him? After all, this was Ranma! So she watched as he darted through his assembled adversaries, evading them, taunting them, drawing them in an ever complicating dance.  
  
Round and round and round…  
  
Suddenly it dawned on her what he was up to. Why he was only dodging instead of fighting back. He was trying to trap them in a Hiryu Shoten Ha! It almost made her laugh that the others were obviously falling for it. After all, everyone in that crowd had already witnessed the threat this attack posed, if they hadn't experienced it first hand. But then again, in the heat of battle one might overlook details like that. The next thing Akane realized was that, with all those extremely powerful fighters flaring off their auras like nuclear reactors on the brink of bursting, this would very likely become the mother of all Dragon blasts. If Ranma wasn't careful, there was a likely chance of structural damage to the neighborhood. Scratch that, there was a very likely chance of heavy damage to the involved fighters.  
  
Akane's eyes grew wide with shock and a cold feeling took possession of her.  
  
Was this what he planned to do?  
  
Simply kill them all?  
  
Ranma knew that he was almost there. His enemies, his friends, were already in a blind rush to hit him, oblivious to the otherwise obvious reasons behind his tactics. His taunts and his skills in evading their attacks had placed them in this state. After all, they had egos too. And what was worse for martial-artists than never coming even close to hitting their target? Even if part of the reason was that they constantly got into one another's way. It didn't matter if they realized this or not, for the outcome would be the same. They would be playing right into his hands. Ever following closely along the tightening coils of his spiral, like water that couldn't help but flush down the drain. Dancing his deadly waltz to the final point of release, he took a tight rain over his chi, bracing for the task at hand.  
  
"Hiryu" he shouted, ducking under one of Ryoga's wide swings.  
  
"Shoten" he continued, evading a Katana and a couple of chains while pirouetting straight toward the spiral's middle.  
  
"Ha.." he screamed, watching as the eyes of his opponents widened with the realization of their impending doom. They all struck out in one last, desperate attempt to bring him down before he could send them on a wild ride towards the clouds, knowing full well that is was already too late.  
  
To their utter surprise and growing horror, it wasn't.  
  
Akane watched with wide eyes as the fight drew to a close.  
  
She saw Ranma step into position, calling out the name for his most prized technique.  
  
She saw him raise his fist to the heavens and waited for the display of his Chi lashing out and starting a violent chain-reaction with the already energy-saturated air, initiating a maelstrom of destruction that the attacking group could not hope to withstand.  
  
Only, not even a light breeze came up.  
  
Instead there were some sickening sounds like steel hitting living flesh.  
  
The sound a Katana made when it pierced a chest.  
  
The sound of an impossibly heavy umbrella crushing a shoulder.  
  
The sound of a bonbori pulverizing a hip.  
  
The sound of knives.  
  
Of spatulas.  
  
The pain was unbearable. But then again, Ranma had been prepared for this and knew that he wouldn't have to put up with it for long. He hadn't come here to suffer after all. He had come here to die.  
  
For a second he wondered if that had been really such a grand idea at all.  
  
Letting himself getting killed like that.  
  
He pushed the thought aside though. He was no doctor, but he knew that his condition was fatal, so there was no backing out now. The only thing left to do was to end what he had started and pray that everything worked out.  
  
"..-ttari" he finished the name of his move as he sank to his knees.*  
  
Akane was by his side in an instant, crossing the distance at a speed that would have Olympic sprinters cower in shame. She caught his body before he could hit the ground, lowering him gently to a lying position instead. Kneeling by his side she began to shower him with helpless blabber, telling him to hang on, that they would take him to a doctor and that everything would be fine, he would see, while she tried to hold his wounds closed with her bare hands.  
  
The others stood around them, rooted to their spots while their weapons clattered from lifeless fingers. They, just like Akane, were unable to truly understand what their eyes presented them with quite clearly. That Ranma, someone that deep in their hearts all of them had always viewed as virtually indestructible, was lying at their feet in a bloody heap, brought to the brink of death by their own hands. No, not the brink. It was obvious that he was already dead, and it was only a testament to his incredible stamina that he was still breathing.  
  
Ranma was feeling drowsy. That was fine with him. It kind off dulled the pain. He knew that he would soon be asleep. Good. He liked to sleep. He watched with half-lidded eyes as Akane fussed over him. He didn't like the look on her face. She didn't smile. That was bad. He would have liked to see her smile one last time.  
  
"Ya getting ya shirt all bloody..." he remarked dreamily, pointing a weak hand at her chest.  
  
Wasn't his fault. Clumsy tomboy. Would get mad at him anyway. But had that ever mattered? No. Not really. Not to him. She answered something he couldn't really make out through the fog in his mind. It sounded urgent, even desperate somehow. Shouldn't she sound mad? He liked it whenever she was mad. Always had her attention then. Couldn't be helped. He didn't feel like teasing her right now. So tired. And those were really ugly stains too.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that.." he mumbled before his head rolled to the side and his eyes finally lost focus.  
  
He really was.  
  
For so many things.  
  
---  
  
Even years later the people of Nerima would still talk about what was commonly known as 'The Scream'. Not in bright daylight or on cheerful occasions of course. But when the night fell over the city and the sake started to flow, or when folks gathered to swap scary stories, like around a camp-fire, then 'The Scream' would possibly be mentioned. And no matter how drunk, and no matter how cozily horrified, on those that had actually witnessed it, that memory alone had the same effect as a cold shower in a snowstorm.  
  
Because one sunny afternoon in the midst of summer, one name had been shouted with such soul-wrenching force that it could still be felt, if not heard, for miles around.  
  
Only a name, but carried along with it came all the agony, and heartbreak, and desperation of the caller, each emotion almost tangible in its overwhelming intensity.  
  
And the cats buckled and hissed, and the dogs began to bark, and little children started to cry while everyone else got confused and scared.  
  
And only a chosen few, not all of them necessarily of the human variety, who maybe knew more about the nature of the soul than was absolutely necessary, understood that a heart had just been shattered, most likely beyond any hope of repair.  
  
By someone who's name sounded something like 'Ranma'.  
  
  
  
*'Hiryu Shoten Ha' translates roughly as 'Dragon ascend to Heaven Blast'. 'hattari' translates to 'bluff'(n). So this should be read as something like 'Dragon ascend to Heaven bluffing'.  
  
  
  
---  
  
Authors notes: Hey, who would have thought? I finally came around to kill Ranma. Makes me finally write in the big league now. You know, 'Drama', 'Angst' and 'deep emotions'. On the other hand, if you ever read one of my other stories you might find that I easily succumb to a certain pattern. Will this time be different? Who knows? Well, actually I do, because I have the whole thing plotted out. So this is going to be a multi-part story that will be written to the end. Or my name ain't Krista Perry!  
  
Until the next chapter,  
  
RaMa 


	2. The mourning after

I have given, I have given  
  
And got none  
  
Still I'm driven by something I can't explain  
  
It's not a cross, it is a choice  
  
I cannot help but hear his voice  
  
I only wish that I could listen without shame  
  
[Chorus]  
  
Let it rain  
  
Let it rain on me  
  
Let it rain, oh let it rain  
  
Let it rain on me  
  
I have been a witness to the perfect crime  
  
I wipe the grin off of my face to hide the blame  
  
it isn't worth the tears you cry to have a perfect alibi  
  
Now I'm beaten at the hands of my own game  
  
It isn't easy to be kind  
  
With all these demons in my mind  
  
I only hope one day I'll be free  
  
(Excerpts from: Amanda Marshall - Let it rain)  
  
Soul Heir  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
Chapter 2. The mourning after  
  
  
  
Most people agreed that Akane Tendo took the fact of her fiancé's death pretty well. Small wonder, considering that those 'most people' were of the Japanese variety. In Japan, death is considered a 'No-No'-theme, something to be stoically accepted without bothering the spirits of the dead with acts of grief. Those left behind were expected to fulfill their duties to the deceased with serene dignity, conducting the proper rites to guide them safely across the other side, as well as act as cordial hosts for those attending those ceremonies to offer their condolence. People crying during such occasions like a funeral were even looked down upon. Such things were considered a social misbehavior and they had cost individuals of a more passionate nature, like Soun Tendo for example, more than a little of their standing in the community. Akane made up for her fathers past conduct tenfold. Never crying nor questioning fate she did what had to be done with an almost scary efficiency. She stayed with Ranma's corpse when the ambulance arrived and she stayed by his side until the coroner took him away. It was her that brought the ashes back to his mother and when the grief seemed too much for the Saotome-matriarch, it was Akane who continued the preparations or covered up for her and acted as the host for the guests. She had assistance, of course, in form of her sisters, and when Ukyou and Shampoo asked if they might join in, she assigned them tasks without thinking twice. For once there was a great gathering concerning Nerima's most notorious martial-artist that went along without a hitch. This fact, if nothing else, convinced even the most persistent doubter that Ranma Saotome was finally gone, and that this funeral meant more than simply putting a soul to rest. It meant that the life everyone had gotten used to would be buried too. Along with many hopes and dreams. Grudges and responsibilities too. All this and more stuffed into an urn with Ranma's name on it.  
  
---  
  
"Kasumi?"  
  
Startled out of her contemplation of the Koi-pond's calm waters, the oldest Tendo-daughter turned towards the source of the quiet, almost subdued voice addressing her.  
  
"What is it Ukyou?" she asked the girl on the porch in what she hoped to be a reassuring manner.  
  
"It's about Akane," the girl replied, fidgeting with a towel in her hands. "Why is she so.. so calm? It's almost as if none of this.." she gestured with a hand towards the main-room with its decorations and the assembled guests, "..matters to her. Like this was just a party or something."  
  
Kasumi reacted to this with a sad smile before returning to look at the pond.  
  
"When Akane was a little kid," she started out in a reminiscing voice, "she cried over the smallest things. When she hit her knee or when she had an argument with one of the other kids. Even when she couldn't find one of her toys she would start to cry and run for mom. And mom always found the time to sit down and talk to her, make her smile again. Mom was really great when it came to making you feel good again. Until the day she died. A lot of things changed with her death. Especially for Akane. Since then I never saw her cry again. I once asked her about it, and she told me that there was no point in crying if there was no one to make it better again. Imagine that coming from a eight year old kid…" Kasumi shook her head sadly and turned around, facing Ukyou again.  
  
"And then, two years ago, I saw her cry again. Shortly after she got engaged to a boy who could be very nice at times, and sometimes extremely annoying too. And he had this irritating problem with water. It might surprise you, but when I saw her all in tears because one of his thoughtless remarks I was.. glad.. somehow. I figured that if she could cry like that, then it was only a matter of time until she would smile again. She always had the most beautiful smile when she was a kid. And if it needed a few tears to bring it out again, that was fine with me. Even if she went a little overboard sometimes. Must be dad's influence.."  
  
With that Kasumi trailed off, an apologetic smile on her lips. Ukyou watched as her gaze wandered to places unknown, most probably somewhere in the past. She almost felt inclined to leave her to her memories. But she still had a question or two.  
  
"Who did she run to," she asked hesitatingly, startling Kasumi out of her reverie, "when.. someone.. made her cry?"  
  
The eldest Tendo-daughter frowned at the question, obviously that thought had never crossed her mind.  
  
"I don't know," she finally admitted. "No one, I guess. She usually went up to her room when she felt like that. At least while she was around the house. But you could always count on Ranma to sneak up there and cheer her up. Even if it was simply by presenting her with someone to pound. It always worked like a charm. A couple of minutes later she would be up and around again as if nothing had ever happened."  
  
Kasumi sighed, hugging herself as if she suddenly felt cold.  
  
"She didn't cry even once over the last days. But she should have! It's just like when mom died. Maybe.." she couldn't hold back the sniffles, and her voice started to sound shaky. "Maybe it's even worse. I mean she loved mom, but.. but.."  
  
"Hush.." whispered Ukyou, who had just decided to throw etiquette to the wind and simply stepped over to hug the older girl.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kasumi sobbed, slowly regaining her composure "I shouldn't have bothered you with this. Ranma wasn't Akane's fiancé alone. You've got to hurt every bit as much as she does."  
  
"Trust me, I do," Ukyou assured her in a voice that wasn't too steady either. But something inside of her, the tiny part that had already started to accept why Ranma had acted the way he did up to that fateful afternoon, wondered if she could truly compare. After all she was still able to cry.  
  
---  
  
Finally the ceremonies were over and the guests left single or in groups, without leaving behind the usual mess. The Kuno's, unusually subdued and thus still capable of walking on their own feet as neither a single rose nor a poem had popped up. The Kuonji's, seven all in all including Ukyou and her Kunoichi, having come to support one of their family in her darkest hour. The staff of the Nekko-Hanten, already deep in preparations for returning to China, respectfully using the doors instead of more exotic forms of entrance. Comrades from school, neighbours and the usual bystanders, all leaving towards their respective homes. Even the Saotomes, arm in arm for once, who had insisted to return home, claiming that holding the ceremonies here at the Tendo residence had already been too much generosity anyway. That left Ryoga as the only guest still staying behind. This wasn't exactly his own choice. But fact was that since Ranma's sudden death he had stayed put in his place without getting lost once. He would have liked to claim that this meant his sense of direction was increasing. But it hadn't. It was only his desire to go anywhere that had decreased. Were was the point? There was no place anymore were he could prove that he was better than Ranma. Stronger or tougher than Ranma. A better man than Ranma all in all. He thought it was sad in a way, to compare himself to the pig-tailed heartthrob all the time. But that's what he had done, wasn't it. He had dedicated his life to surpass this guy he considered his nemesis, and now that he was gone, his own life lacked what little direction it possessed before. Sure, there was still Akari. He would return to her soon. And maybe together they would find something else for him to get obsessed with. That thought made him chuckle. It was true, wasn't it? He had been so obsessed with ripping Ranma to shreds that he had never bother to think about the effects this might have. To others as well as to that part of himself that considered him the best and oldest of his friends. And that part made itself known at the moment. Boy did it make itself known. He wasn't entirely sure, but would Mrs. Saotome have asked for retribution, he suspected that he might have agreed to it. The thought of slitting your own belly contained some strange comfort for him. This way, he could at least compete with Ranma again. Like who left the better corpse behind.  
  
Ryoga got snapped out of his dark thoughts by soft footsteps closing in from behind. He had retreated here, to the back of the dojo, in hope to spend some time undisturbed. Maybe sort out his confused feelings. Obviously this was only wishful thinking. Raising his head to face the intruder, he recognized the middle Tendo-daughter approaching him with an unreadable expression on her face.  
  
"Hi," she greeted him blankly, looking down at his hunched form.  
  
"Hi," he replied with an equal amount of excitement. Ryoga and Nabiki had never been very close, so she wasn't exactly in the Top-Ten-list of people he wanted to deal with at the moment. Well, at least she was one of the people who got to the point pretty fast. He wasn't concerned that she might waste his time with idle chatter. Uncomfortable? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. But idle? Not likely.  
  
"I heard the police didn't raise any charges," Nabiki stated quietly while seeming to inspect Ryouga from head to toe. Feeling uncomfortable under her scrutinizing stare, Ryouga turned his face away, preferring to look at the sun instead, about to settle down over the horizon.  
  
"Yeah," he replied absently, "they filed it as a trainings accident."  
  
"Trainings accident, hmm?" Nabiki considered this for a moment. It figured. Japanese police hated to use such ugly words like 'suicide' in their reports. And they were rather proud of their low statistics when it came to homicide. So nobody would shout murder if he didn't have to. Especially if members of high-ranking families like the Kunos should be involved. In such cases a lot of incidents turned out to be 'accidents'.  
  
"Lucky you," she finally concluded. "All of you actually. In other countries you'd already inhabit your own three on three steel bar apartment."  
  
"Dunno," Ryouga replied uneasily. "It's not like we did anything we haven't done a thousand times before. I don't think anyone really expected to actually hit him."  
  
"But you did. All of you."  
  
That made Ryoga look up at her again, a strange glint in his eyes.  
  
"No, not all of us!" he insisted. "Akane.., she didn't do anything for once. She just.. watched the whole thing happen. I dunno, I think she sensed something was amiss..."  
  
Nabiki reacted to this news with a raised eyebrow. Though the gathering of information was usually her forte, she hadn't got much out of those involved in this special mess. Akane was almost impossible to talk to off late and everyone else had either locked themselves away or taken cover behind as much labor as possible. When they were not interviewed by the police or occupied with the funeral preparations.  
  
"If she really sensed it," Nabiki inquired, sounding somewhat incredulous, "Don't you think she would have done something to stop him?"  
  
Hearing her talk like that, Ryoga's face took on a dangerous expression and his voice turned almost into a snarl.  
  
"And what exactly should she have done? Do you think it would have been enough if she said something like: 'Sorry folks, I've got a bad feeling about this. Couldn't we postpone it or something?' Or would you have rather she had jumped in and got herself killed instead of him? I doubt she really expected him to do anything as harsh as he actually did. None of as could have. Actually, that's a good thing too. And do you know why?" Glaring at her, he waited for a reaction for this more or less rhetorical question. Nabiki, knowing that the overemotional thickheaded guy in front of her wouldn't continue otherwise, simply shrugged.  
  
"Because if Akane would have known what would happen, she WOULD have jumped in there, even if it killed her!" Ryoga conclude with overwhelming conviction.  
  
"I know," Nabiki agreed, much to the fanged-boy's surprise. "I doubt that anybody would ever convict me as a romantic, but I recognize love when I see it. And my little sister loved that idiot very much. Too bad it had to end like this.."  
  
Ryoga looked at the girl in front of him, and it was as if he was seeing her for the first time. Maybe he did. After all, who ever bothered to look beyond the unemotional front she usually put up?  
  
"I'm sorry," he stammered, suddenly unsure how to deal with her. "I didn't want too.."  
  
"Hey, it's okay," she interrupted him, dispersing his apology with a wave of her hand. "I didn't come here to prove my sensibility to you, or anything like that. I have something to ask of you instead."  
  
Now, this was more familiar ground for Ryoga. A Nabiki demanding favors was someone he would always prefer to, say, a Nabiki that acted like a human being.  
  
"Oh, and what's that?" he asked, as alarmed as he was relieved by the changed topic.  
  
"Well," Nabiki began her explanation, "you might have noticed that Akane is currently not very talkative when it comes to Ranma's death. Even Kasumi couldn't get her to talk about it. But you can surely imagine that, as her sisters, we can't simply leave it at that. So we thought that, if she isn't talking to us, maybe she would talk to her little pet-pig…"  
  
Ryoga sat there like a deer caught in the headlights. He knew that there were few things that Nabiki wouldn't figure out sooner or later, but since she never had blackmailed him with knowledge of his curse, he had considered himself save from her shemes.  
  
"I.. I don't know what you talking about.." he stammered lamely. Not that he truly believed for one moment that he would get away with it.  
  
"Oh come on, Ryoga." Nabiki chided him, sarcasm dripping from every word. "You're forgetting who you're talking to. Or would you rather prefer if I called you.. P-chan?"  
  
---  
  
It was almost midnight when Shampoo finally managed to get away from the Nekko-Hanten. The burial-ceremony had taken up most of her day and what was left had been filled with travel-preparations. But finally she had managed to retreat to her room under the premise of going to sleep. And though it wasn't a complete lie, for she felt like dropping dead on the spot, she knew that she had one last duty to perform before returning to China. And tonight was probably her last chance to do so. So she snuck out of her room through the window, taking the high-road, otherwise known as the rooftops. The reason for this nightly escapade was rather simple. Since she came to Nerima the second time she had made a couple of new friends. No-one she would tell her other friends about, for she had promised them she wouldn't, but a bunch of useful allies when the going got tough. And from Shampoo's point of view the going was at the moment about as tough as a three year old candy. So she traveled south across the Nerima skyline until she happened to be right above an empty alleyway, into which she let herself simply drop, producing a soft plopping sound on impact with the ground. Light as the sound was, it was nonetheless picked up by a set of very sharp ears.  
  
"A', Violet. 'ow nice of you to drop by," came a heavily accented voice out of the shadows. " 'ave you finally found it in your 'eart to visit your old friend Pépé?"  
  
"Well, hello to you too Pépé," she replied with a sigh. Shampoo wasn't too happy to see him tonight. Not that she disliked him, but his never wavering, if futile, attempts to charm and seduce her reminded her way too much of another short-sighted guy she knew. And guys in general and especially her love-live were no topics she wanted to dwell upon at the moment.  
  
"A' cherie," Pépé continued unimpressed by her weary tone of voice as his dark form extracted itself from the alley's shadows. "Now that you finally followed your 'eart to my doorsteps, why don't we celebrate it? A romantic dinner among the stars, a little music, a little.. dance?" The last word he almost purred into her ear in what he obviously thought was a seductive voice, for he had already crossed the distance between them. And judging by the way he smelled he was obviously more than ready to fulfill that offer.  
  
"A very interesting thought," Shampoo admitted, without much conviction though. "But I fear I have to decline it anyway. I'm here to meet the 'old one'." All pretense of playfulness suddenly dropped from Pépé, and his tone changed into something more businesslike.  
  
"O'? Well if that's the case.." he seemed to consider for a second if he should give her another try but obviously decided against it. Dealings with the 'old one' were always serious business and it was never wise to interfere in them. ".. follow me."  
  
Pépé lead her deeper into the alley until he vanished through a crack in a wall. Shampoo followed him, only to find herself in a rundown room, full of spider webs and broken furniture. He didn't stop there, leading her further into the building instead. Through several rooms in various state of decay and up a not very trustworthy looking staircase the journey went. Up into what would have been the second floor. If there would have been much left to call floor. There were large holes in the ground and what was left of it didn't look too trustworthy either.  
  
Not that it really mattered to Shampoo. She had a light step and was able to tread were the proverbial angel had to use his wings. So she followed her guide across ominously creaking planks until they reached one last door, hanging ajar in it's rusty hinges. Nodding his head towards the entry, Pépé cast a curious glance back at her.  
  
"Well, she's in there," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You're sure you wouldn't rather spent the night with a smart, good-looking hunk..?"  
  
"Didn't know you doubled as a pimp," she replied casually as she walked by him. "Anyway, I've got business to conduct. So I guess I've got decline the offer."  
  
"Your loss," Pépé replied indignant. "I would 'ave shown you the greatest time of your life!"  
  
"Maybe next time," Shampoo replied unimpressed. "If, and only if, you get a bath first. Because face it, Pépé, you stink!"  
  
The room was dark, almost pitch-black. Small wonder, considering the time and place. What Shampoo could make out was in a slightly better condition than the rest of the building though. Someone had cleared off the worst of the debris and the floor looked relatively reliable. In one of the corner there was a pillow. It was maybe a little less drafty there, and the light was a little better too. Though that was most probably not the reason why this spot had been selected. Whatever the reasons for the pillow's positioning, on it lounged the reason for Shampoo's late-night visit.  
  
"Greetings old one," the young amazon addressed the ancient matriarch in an appropriately reverent voice. "I've come to.."  
  
"I know exactly why you've come, young warrior," the gray form interrupted her in a raspy, but sharp, voice. "And the answer is yes. However.."  
  
"Yes?" Shampoo interrupted her eagerly, forgetting about etiquette in her excitement.  
  
"HOWEVER," the old one continued sharply, "there will be a prize to pay! Maybe you would like to hear about it first."  
  
Shampoo, having shied away from the sudden outbreak a few steps, could only nod, too afraid of a second breach of protocol should she phrase her reply wrong in her nervousness.  
  
"Good," the matriarch stated, pacified by the strong reaction. "Now listen, and listen real good. I know that you've heard all the old stories, because I made sure that you would hear them. Especially the ones about the hunters. Those stories are true, you know? There's one problem though. He's got to want it, he's got to come out of his own free will. And you know how he feels about us, don't you?"  
  
Again, Shampoo nodded, a resigned expression on her face.  
  
"Now tell me, warrior," the old one continued, "do you know of anyone or anything, that might make him overcome this.. prejudice?"  
  
This made the amazon frown at the ancient one, in confusion at first, but soon in defeat.  
  
"Yes, there is.. someone," she finally admitted, her shoulders hunched.  
  
"And that's not you," the old one stated matter-of-factly. Once more, the only answer Shampoo could give was to shake her head.  
  
"You've got to look at the bright side, kid." The old matriarch addressed her in a surprising motherly voice. "You are a hero to your people now, after all, didn't you fulfill your quest? One day you're probably going to be a hero to us too. And maybe you'll find that the prize you had to pay for all this wasn't so high after all. Provided you keep to my instructions…"  
  
This made Shampoo perk up her ears.  
  
"What do I have to do?" she asked, eager despite her depressed state.  
  
---  
  
Author's notes: Wow! Even more insights and tears! I'm starting to get the hang on this. I case you wonder why I didn't write a nice little scene of the actual funeral, with speeches and nervous breakdowns and stuff, that's easily explained. All that wailing would have easily triggered my curse. It's a lot like Tarou's, only with more teeth. Lots of teeth. So that would have resulted in a real mess. And as I don't go for graphical violence, I skipped it. (Actually, that's a lie. I do go for graphical violence, I'm just not good at it.)  
  
Until the next chapter,  
  
RaMa 


	3. Should old acquaintance be forgot

I'm not afraid  
  
Of anything in this world  
  
There's nothing you can throw at me  
  
That I haven't already heard  
  
I'm just trying to find  
  
A decent melody  
  
A song that I can sing  
  
In my own company  
  
I never thought you were a fool  
  
But darling look at you  
  
You gotta stand up straight  
  
Carry your own weight  
  
These tears are going nowhere baby  
  
You've got to get yourself together  
  
You've got stuck in a moment  
  
And now you can't get out of it  
  
Don't say that later will be better  
  
Now you're stuck in a moment  
  
And you can't get out of it  
  
( Excerpt from: U2 - Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of )  
  
Soul Heir  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
Chapter 3. Should old acquaintance be forgot..  
  
  
  
Somewhere along the eastern coast of Japan there's a large town. And like many a large town, this one is also nothing more like a lot of small towns that merged sometime during their history, as more and more people decided, or were forced by necessity, to life in the same spot. Some of these former towns became pretty huge during this period of settlement, growing more and more urban in style and feel. Others, especially those at the edge, kept their more rural appearance. There was noticeably more space between houses for starters, and they didn't reach the same height either like the buildings a few miles more towards the city's center. Architecture too was more classic Japanese in style, partly thanks to the age of many of the constructions, partly because folks from 'in-town' considered these parts rural and came here on vacation over the weekend. So the people living here had practical reasons to keep up the impression of an old fashioned settlement while offering a solid mix of classic and modern accommodations for their visitors. One of the more classic ones was an old Shinto-shrine, located on a low rise overlooking most of the town and offering a beautiful view of the coastline. It was a nice shrine, if not very large. Constructed entirely of sturdy wood, though beautifully ornamented and lacquered, it consisted mostly of a one-story building that doubled as the priests home, surrounded by a high wooden fence that circled the medium-sized compound. A large, ornamented gate, positioned to face the rising sun each morning, was the only way inside for the occasional visitor. Usually this was a very quiet place. After all, this was a site for cleansing souls and religious contemplation. But as it had been stated before, even behind those most traditional of appearances lurked the horrors of modern times. Like telephones.  
  
---  
  
"Just one more second..!" Kinyou called out.  
  
This was one of those typical situations. You just got comfortable, and then the phone rings. This wouldn't be much of a problem if you had just dropped down in front of the TV or settled down with a nice book. But it just has to be the toilet, doesn't it? Honestly, considering how little time is usually spent in that place, what are the chances that the phone rings right then? In Kinyou's case they were approximately 9 out of 10. Some guys simply have all the luck.  
  
Hastily drying his hands on his shirt he hurried down the hall to were his uncle was waiting with the receiver in hand.  
  
"Who is it?" he asked as he reached out to pick it up.  
  
Uncle Toei, local priest and Kinyou's legal guardian, gave him a strange look as he handed over the receiver.  
  
"Blast from the past…" he stated cryptically before turning back towards the living-room.  
  
Kinyou could only stare at his uncle's retreating back. What was that supposed to mean? On the other hand, it was a typical kind of answer, considering who gave it. Uncle Toei simply loved to play guessing games. Mostly because Kinyou hated them. He almost forgot about the telephone in his irritation, but a hushed 'hello' coming from the speaker reminded him that he kept someone waiting.  
  
"Sorry, " he hastily apologized, "Kinyou speaking now. Who's there?"  
  
When he got his answer he suddenly understood his uncles remark.  
  
A word about Kinyou Juusan. He was by all appearances a pretty average guy. Seventeen years of age he was still visiting an average school. He was of average built, average height and his hair was of average length and almost black. Pretty average for Japanese standards. He dressed pretty averagely for a guy his age, in jeans and t-shirts where he could get away with it anyway. His only obvious distinction amidst any crowd of boys his age would be this thing he had for baseball-caps and an oversized black duster that he sometimes wore. Considering the stuff some of the other guys wore to appear unique, that was pretty average too. What really made him stand out of the crowd was nothing that could be seen or touched. It was a gift he had, something that ran in his family. Something that made him receive strange calls at strange times. And they did by no means always come per telephone.  
  
"What do You want from me?" Kinyou asked in a low voice, making no attempt to hide his irritation. He listened to the answer from the other side, a frown on his face.  
  
"Well, it's not hard to guess," he explained acidly when the line went silent again. "Tsubasa kept me pretty up to date. 'Comes over here every once in a while for a talk. So I know what's up and I'm pretty sure you're not calling for old times sake."  
  
He waited for the reply, and when he got it, his frown darkened into a scowl.  
  
"No, I'm not! If anything I'm still pissed about the way I had to learn about it! Not that it concerns me.."  
  
With a huff, Kinyou dropped onto the ground and leaned against the wall, while fighting to keep the phone's cord from entangling itself into a huge knot.  
  
"Yeah right," he stated dryly, "but probably not half as much as me.." Letting out his breath in a huff he stared at his knees while his face took on a more determined expression.  
  
"So, now that the niceties are over, will you tell me the reason for your call?"  
  
His head nodding slowly, he listened to his callers explanation.  
  
"Yeah, Tsubasa described him. Rather graphically too. Always sounded like a complete idiot, but since it's been Tsubasa talking, I never gave it too much credit. What's with him?"  
  
"Oh.." was his first reaction when he got an answer. "I'm sorry to hear that.. " He would have liked to believe that the reason she called him was a need for comfort, for a shoulder to cry on. He would have liked to believe in a lot of things. Like Santa Claus, the tooth-fairy or untouchable politicians. But some things you simply grow out of.  
  
"At least that explains your call." Kinyou stated sadly, his free hand rubbing his forehead absentmindedly.  
  
"Sure, I'll see what I can do," he promised softly. Reaching up towards the nearby table for something to write he continued in a more 'matter-of-fact' voice.  
  
"Well, you know the drill. I need the day and the time, place of birth..."  
  
Uncle Toei was sitting in front of the TV, watching the news. When he noticed Kinyou walk in he looked up with a neutral expression on his face.  
  
"So what did she want?" he asked without preamble.  
  
"This fiancé of hers just died." Kinyou stated in an equally neutral tone.  
  
"So that's what it takes to remember your phone number?" Uncle Toei remarked dryly. "You should consider changing your aftershave…"  
  
"Yeah, rub it in, why don't you?" Kinyou countered sourly.  
  
Uncle Toei looked at his nephew wryly, a calculating expression on his face.  
  
"So what are you going to do about it?"  
  
Kinyou shrugged his shoulders, his gaze fixed on the piece of paper in his hands.  
  
"I guess I'll be going over to the shrine and see what I can find out."  
  
"That's not what I mean," Uncle Toei said patiently. "What are you going to do about that girl?"  
  
Kinjou shrugged once more, this time returning his uncle's gaze.  
  
"Nothing, I guess," he replied. "She wasn't interested when she supposedly hated that guy. Now he's a dead love she can pine after." To illustrate his words, he drew a circle around his head with a finger, indicating a halo. "I doubt it would be any easier to compete with that.."  
  
Uncle Toei continued to look at his nephew and part-time disciple with that calculating expression still in place. But finally he nodded and turned back to the TV.  
  
"You've learned something after all," he stated contently. "I'm proud of you."  
  
"Why thanks.." Kinyou replied, slightly surprised by the praise. Though he wasn't too sure what exactly he should be proud off.  
  
---  
  
"Mistress?"  
  
Ukyou turned to face the kunoichi coming out of the kitchen, a frown on her face. She didn't like his constant use of honorifics one bit but had long ago given up arguing about it. He didn't listen to her complaints anyway and right now, they were the least of her problems.  
  
"What's up Konatsu?" she asked tiredly. The last couple of days had taken a lot out of her and that phone call she just made hadn't helped either.  
  
"I heard your shouting and I was wondering.." As if surprised by his own boldness, the feminine ninja suddenly started to fidget, "..that is, I don't want to impose.."  
  
"It's ok," Ukyou calmed him, "It's no big secret anyway. It was only some old friend I haven't talked to in a while."  
  
"It didn't sound too friendly.." Konatsu objected cautiously, protective as always when it came to his employer.  
  
"Well, we didn't exactly part on the best of terms the last time we met," Ukyou explained, one hand rubbing the bridge of her nose. But I need his help with a couple of things."  
  
"What do you need him for?" the kunoichi asked slightly alarmed. After all, there was hardly anything he could or would not do for his mistress.  
  
"Do you know what an Itako is?"  
  
"Of course!" Konatsu replied, instantly going into 'scholar-mode'. "Itakos are famous for their mastery of the 'Rei-Kan', the ability to communicate with spirits and ghosts. They are usually found in Osorezan' in Aomori. By the way, that place is also famous for it's hot springs if you ever should happen to drop by. Most Itakos possess bad eyesight, but that's supposed to be the prize for the ability to see the invisible. Oh, and they're all women." Ukyou could only stare at her employee who had suddenly, somehow, donned the costume fitting the caste in question, complete with a white robe, sunglasses, a wig and a bead of pearls.  
  
"Right," she finally said once she got over his little display. "Except Kinyou wasn't a girl last time I checked. And his eyes are just fine. But he's talking to ghosts alright. Or rather, they are talking to him. He mostly tries to ignore them."  
  
Konatsu looked up from packing away his costume, his head tilted sideways as understanding dawned on him.  
  
"So you asked him to contact Ranma for you?"  
  
"Yeah, " Ukyou admitted, her face showing her determination. "I need some answers. Me and... Akane also. We've still got too many questions left. Shampoo too I guess, but as she's already left that can't be helped. And I'm going to get my answers, even if I have to cause a little uproar in heaven.. or in hell."  
  
---  
  
Kinyou sat comfortably in a lotus position in front of the shrine, hands resting on his knees and his head bowed. At least his body was. For someone with an eye for such matters it would have been pretty obvious that 'nobody was home'. That same someone might have noticed an ethereal link going from the body to the shrine in front of him. Call it an 'uplink' if you want to, because that was, basically, what it was. A way to communicate with a higher plane of existence. So while Kinyou's body rested in the temple's grounds, Kinyou himself was currently facing 'the end off all ends', 'the ultimate truth', 'the final answer', 'don't speak THAT name out loud!', or using a more common name, Death. Well, maybe it was not exactly Death him/her/it-self, for h/h/i was usually busy with too many other things to bother with any nosy visitor coming to the gates of doom without a proper invitation. Like a death-certificate for example. But still, his secretary, an old crone with a topknot and really mighty glasses, not to mention a crooked nose, was scary enough.  
  
"Hi Granny," Kinyou greeted her nonchalantly as he materialized in the waiting-room. He had gotten used to the ambiente after the first couple of visits and by now, he was feeling quite at home amidst this place's coffin, bones and hourglasses-design in burgundy-blacks and bleached-skin whites.  
  
"Why, hello Kinyou" the old crone greeted back. "Come to brighten an old maiden's lonely hours, have you?"  
  
"Ah, come on granny." Kinyou replied playfully. "As if you'd ever have the time to feel lonely around here."  
  
The old women cackled behind her large desk, indicating the stacks of folders before her with a gesture of her hand.  
  
"But that's just customers," she reminded him, "they're usually not in the mood for a chat. Usually they only stay as long as it takes for someone to pick them up. Though I guess you're not here for a chat either, are you?"  
  
"Actually.. no." Kinyou admitted with an apologetic smile. "I'm looking for one of your latest customers."  
  
"Figures," the crone remarked, flashing him an accusing glare. It wasn't that she was really mad at him. This was just their usual foreplay after all. "So, who is it this time," she finally asked in a more business-like tone of voice while reaching for a large register that was positioned on one side of her desk.  
  
"Some guy named Saotome. Ranma Saotome," Kinyou started to explain. "He's a martial-artist that died a couple of days ago in a fight down in Nerima, Tokyo. His dates are.." He got suddenly interrupted by the loud smacking- sound of the register being forcefully shut.  
  
"You know what?" the secretary asked the perplexed youth. "Draw a number."  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked back in confusion.  
  
"You see that group over there?" she replied, pointing at a multifaceted assortment of lesser deities and celestial entities sitting around a low table in a far-off corner. There was an angel, judging by the wings and the halo anyway, chatting amiably with a girl in what looked like a chain mail- bikini and a winged helmet. Next to them sat a demon, complete with trident and bat-style wings and some guy in black and white décor with a top hat. There was a succubus, a guy with the head of a bird, a bird with a female torso and head, as well as some other folks with various animals mixed into their anatomy. Some forms were hard to make out, thanks to the nondescript robes they wore, but Kinyou thought he saw even the occasional tentacle here and there.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed in surprise, as he turned his wide-eyed gaze back to the woman behind the desk.  
  
"No," she replied dryly, "Jesus got bored of waiting about an hour ago."  
  
"No kidding?" he asked dubiously. But the look she gave him made it clear that she wasn't.  
  
"Man, who is this guy? There wasn't half such a congregation when the last Tenno died!"  
  
"Of course not!" the crone chided him. The Tenno got picked up by his family. Oh, you should have seen Amaterasu's dress! She was simply radiant.."  
  
Kinyou gave her a queer look. 'What is it with old women and royalty?' he wondered briefly.  
  
But soon he found himself back on familiar ground.  
  
" .. and right on time too. Not like this naughty boy you asked about. That one wasn't even supposed to show up here for quite some time."  
  
"He wasn't?" Kinyou asked, snapping out of his gossip-induced stupor.  
  
"No, he wasn't." the secretary confirmed. "And you know why?" she asked with a conspirational wink, leaning towards him.  
  
"Not a clue," he admitted, leaning closer too.  
  
"Because that boy's got fate!" she whispered.  
  
Kinyou stared at her as if she had sprouted a second head, until understanding finally hit him.  
  
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "You mean fate..!"  
  
"Pshhht!" she shushed him, casting a wary glance towards the waiting group in the corner. "Not so loud, or do you want deities all over your place back home?"  
  
That notion almost made him bite his tongue. Luckily, it was back in his body, but the thought was there.  
  
"Not really.." he agreed cautiously. "The last time they showed up was bad enough. I don't think Tomobiki will ever be the same again…"  
  
"There you have it." The old woman told him, patting his hand affectionally. "So why don't you simply go back home and have.. a look around?"  
  
Kinyou looked at her thoughtfully, a smile spreading over his face. Out of impulse, he suddenly leaned over the desk and placed a peck on her cheek.  
  
"Thanks a lot.." he whispered to her. Then he stepped back and, with a final wave, vanished to where he had come from.  
  
"Uuuh," the old crone breathed wistfully, one hand covering her blushing cheek. "If I was just a few millennia younger.." Then she noticed the strange looks she got from the waiting entities in the far corners.  
  
"What?!" she barked in their direction, daring them to comment. She took some grim satisfaction in watching them squirm under her stern gaze. After all, she had a reputation to uphold.  
  
---  
  
Somewhere in a more normal setting, though only compared to the gates of Doom, a girl slept with her little black pet-pig held close in her arms. And she slept quietly, without her usual habit of tossing and turning. And few facts could have scared that little black pigs more. Well, one thing might have. If he would have actually known what she was dreaming about, he would have probably fainted. But he didn't, and so he had to find some sleep in a more traditional way.  
  
While Akane's body showed no sign of activity, her mind was a different matter.  
  
In her dreams, she was with Ranma again. This might have been good, great even, if not for the fact that those dreams were nothing but recurring variations of her loss.  
  
Ranma, all covered in blood, dying in her arms.  
  
Ranma, turning his back on her and simply walking away, without any explanation.  
  
Ranma walking next to her one second and vanished the next, as if the ground had suddenly swallowed him.  
  
Ranma drowning, Ranma burning, Ranma freezing.  
  
Again and again and again.  
  
And there was nothing she could do.  
  
Nothing at all.  
  
---  
  
Authors notes: Aaah! That's more like it. The plot starts to thicken and this chapter even had a laugh or two. I hope I can keep this up. What am I talking? I can keep this up. I'm the bloody author! So buckle your seat- belt, Dorothy, for Kleenex is going bye-bye. (Well mostly bye-bye. You might still want to keep one or two tissues handy. Just in case.)  
  
Until the next chapter,  
  
RaMa 


	4. Lacking Spirit

I don't know where I'm goin  
  
but I sure know where I've been  
  
hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday.  
  
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time  
  
but here I go again, here I go again.  
  
Tho' I keep searching for an answer  
  
I never seem to find what I'm looking for.  
  
Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on  
  
'cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.  
  
Here I go again on my own  
  
goin' down the only road I've ever known.  
  
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.  
  
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time.  
  
here I go again.  
  
(Excerpt from: Whitesnake -'Here I go again')  
  
Soul Heir  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
1 Chapter 4. Lacking Spirit  
  
Kinyou arrived at the Nerima-station while it was still early in the afternoon. He had called Ukyou to tell her that he would have to carry out some investigations on location and she had agreed to pick him up. Stepping out on the platform he scanned the crowd for the young okonomiyaki-chef, wondering for a moment if he would still recognize her. He needn't have worried, for he spotted a telltale spatula bobbing over the heads of his fellow passengers and soon a well-known form peeled itself from the throng of people. She looked just like the last time he had seen her. Black garb with white bows around the shoulders and her long, flowing hair. A bandolier of throwing implements across her chest and the main-weapon strapped to her back. Moving through the crowd like a dancer, never touching, never being touched. Once again he wondered how anyone could mistake this graceful, if somewhat martial, girl for a male. But he reminded himself of the fact that appearing male was a skill Ukyou had honed over the years and for someone without the skill to see beyond her outward appearance, the illusion would be perfect.  
  
It had been one of the first time he had found his talent useful with life people when Ukyou got introduced to his class back in that all-boys school. You see, the form of a soul, a spirit or ghost, is usually defined by the way they see themselves. So the ghost of a samurai still looks like a samurai even after his body has long been recycled, and the soul of a dog looks like a dog, and so on. And so the soul of a girl looks like the girl it belongs to, complete with all the endowments. As long as the corresponding body still encases it, this fact usually goes unnoticed. But as Ukyou had bound back certain parts of her anatomy to better fit her disguise, those parts of her spirit had stood out pretty clearly for those with eyes to see it. Kinyou had the mother of all nosebleeds that day, much to the amusement of his class. Lucky for him that she was wearing her more leisurely garb at the moment, so he didn't risk to suffer that fate again.  
  
"Hello Kinyou," she greeted him as they met halfway across the platform, bowing politely.  
  
"Hi Ukyou," he replied, also bowing.  
  
"How was the journey?" the girl continued, clinging to the usual, polite phrases.  
  
"Just fine," he answered, "if a little on the packed side. I didn't know it was already rush-hour."  
  
"Trust me, it wasn't," Ukyou assured him. "Had it been rush-hour you'd need artificial respiration by now."  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Kinyou deadpanned. "I wouldn't mind some mouth-to-mouth actually."  
  
The ninja-girl responded to this remark by giving him a strange look.  
  
"That doesn't really sound as if you're still mad at me," she finally stated, part amused, part irritated.  
  
"I'm trying to keep my grudges down to a minimum," he replied with a shrug. "It was a little childish anyway."  
  
That answer somehow managed to relax the black-clad girl.  
  
"Well then," she said, sounding a little less formal then before, "where do you want to go first?"  
  
"I'd like to start with getting rid of my baggage," he stated, indicating the sea sack slung over his shoulder. "And after that I figure we begin with the place were the... incident happened."  
  
"The incident, hmm?" Ukyou asked, turning quickly to hide the pained expression creeping across her features. "Whatever you say. You're the expert."  
  
---  
  
Akane sat at the desk in her room, listlessly leafing through some magazines, when a knock sounded on the door.  
  
"Akane..?" Kasumi's voice was heard. "You've got a visitor! Can I send her in?"  
  
Turning to face the door, Akane hesitated for a moment, but finally answered her older sister.  
  
"Sure, send her in..." she replied listlessly, mentally adding 'whoever'.  
  
There was some rustling heard outside and then the door opened, revealing Shampoo.  
  
"Hello," the Chinese girl greeted as she stepped into the room. "Shampoo come say goodbye before return home."  
  
"You're leaving already?" Akane asked, though she was only mildly surprised by the announcement.  
  
"No more reason for Shampoo to stay," the Amazon explained. "Must go home, prove elders that quest fulfilled." A sad smile crossed her face and her voice started to sound a little gloomy. "Shampoo great warrior now. Beat man who beat Phoenix-kin. Council be very impressed…"  
  
Akane wondered for a moment if she should get mad at the girl. But try as she might, she didn't find it in her to get angry of late. Somehow there wasn't much point to it anymore. So she simply nodded in the affirmative and got up from her chair to come face to with her.  
  
"They probably make you an elder in a couple of years," she mused quietly.  
  
"Shampoo think so too," the Amazon agreed.  
  
They stood in silence for a while, eyeing one another thoughtfully, until Shampoo slowly leaned over and placed a kiss on Akanes cheek. Fazed by the unexpected event, Akane didn't react soon enough to stop her from doing so. But she managed to voice her surprise soon enough.  
  
"What.. what was this for?" she asked skeptically, one hand automatically reaching up to cover the side of her face. "Death or marriage?"  
  
"No," Shampoo replied, her voice pleading to be trusted, "is kiss of sisterhood. Shampoo hoping you accept."  
  
"Accept?" Akane asked guardedly. "Since when do you ask for acceptance for one of those?"  
  
Hanging her head, Shampoo sniffed quietly and turned to leave.  
  
"Is okay," she mumbled, "Shampoo understand. Only want you know that... Shampoo been proud if able to call you so..."  
  
Before she reached the door though, Akane called after her.  
  
"Where's the catch..." she simply stated.  
  
Shampoo looked back over her shoulder, a confused frown slowly replacing the sad look on her face.  
  
"What 'catch' mean?" the purple-haired Amazon requested doubtfully.  
  
"It means that, if I say yes, will there be nasty surprises?"  
  
"Surprises?" Shampoo replied, the hint of a smile creeping over her face. "There always surprises. But not 'nasty'. At least not think so."  
  
"If that's the case, then I agree..." Akane replied seriously, thoughtfully adding "Sister" as if trying the word for fit.  
  
Shampoo never turned back around, but she relaxed visibly, her whole bearing loosening up.  
  
"Shampoo glad," she declared, and her relief was plainly audible in her voice. "Never make you regret it. And soon as business back home all done, Shampoo return for visit. Big promise! Bring good presents for sister too! Just you wait!"  
  
"You don't have to." Akane told her, though she knew out of experience that there were few things that could deviate the Amazon from a course of action once she decided upon it.  
  
"Yes I do!" Shampoo insisted grammatically correct for once. "Shampoo not let sister stay moody forever. Expect see smile again when return!"  
  
With that she simply left her former rival alone with her confusion, never bothering with a final good-bye.  
  
---  
  
  
  
It didn't take Ukyou and her guest long to reach the restaurant and stow away Kinyou's baggage in the spare room the okonomiyaki-chef had offered him as a place to sleep. Then they were on their way again towards the empty lot were a certain martial-artist had given his latest, and last, big show. Arriving at the grounds Kinyou stopped, hands pushed into the pockets of his coat, and surveyed the area.  
  
"So that's were he died?" he asked the subdued girl beside him. She didn't answer him directly, only nodding affirmatively.  
  
"Can you show me the exact place?" he queried, knowing full well what he was asking of her. Ukyou had seemed reluctant to even come near this location, and now that she was here, she looked like she might turn and run any second. But then again, he only asked of her what he had to in order to fulfill her request.  
  
"Do I have to?" she asked him in a shaky voice, eyes pleading with him to spare her the ache.  
  
"You don't have to lead me there," he calmed her. "It's enough if you simply point me in the right direction."  
  
Heaving a sigh of relief she did so, indicating a spot approximately in the middle of the site.  
  
He slowly trudged over there, taking a good look around as he did so. For some reasons it hadn't rained lately around here, even though the season would have called for some downpours lately. So there were still some traces to be seen of the actual fight. Footprints of people obviously running in circles, a couple of dark stains on the ground, marks of a heavy vehicle, probably the ambulance. There were no trace of a more spiritual kind though. If Ranma had really died here, he had shown more sense than to choose this place as a hideout while he evaded the welcoming-committee back on the other side. Shaking his head, he returned to the girl waiting uncomfortably at the fringe of the lot.  
  
"You're sure he was already gone when they wheeled him off to the hospital?" he asked her when he was close enough. Gulping audibly, she nodded.  
  
"Yes, he was" she affirmed. "I was there when he... died. Trust me, I'll never forget that moment. Not in a thousand years."  
  
"I guess not," he replied quietly, "but I had to ask. There's nothing here, you know? And if it should have happened on the way to the hospital…"  
  
"No!" Ukyou interrupted him sternly, "it was here!"  
  
Kinyou took in the glare she directed at him, eyes wet and red-rimmed. Her face was pale, her body trembling slightly. His heart going out to the girl in front of him, he reached up to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said apologetically, "but you know why I'm doing this. It's not like I put you through this out of fun."  
  
With his words her features softened, and Ukyou let out another sigh.  
  
"I know," she agreed, gently pushing away his hand, "it's just... it hurts so damn much. One way or the other he's been a part of my life for so long and now he's… gone! Just like that..!" She reached up and grabbed Kinyou by the front of his coat, almost pulling him of his feet.  
  
"He simply gone… !" she sobbed, shaking all over her body.  
  
Catching her hands in his own, he managed to relief some of the stress she put on his garments.  
  
"That's what I'm here for to find out," he told her sympathetically. "Ain't that so?"  
  
Ukyou looked at him, brows creased in confusion.  
  
"Ain't that so?" he repeated urgently.  
  
The girl holding on to him pressed her eyes shut and took some deep breaths, slowly getting her emotions back under control. When she opened them again the tears had stopped and there was maybe even a little of her old fire visible.  
  
"Yes," she finally agreed, managing even something akin to a smile. "That's what you're here for."  
  
---  
  
Nabiki met up with Ryouga in the same spot where she had first convinced him of her sisters need for her little pet. She had made it clear that she expected him to memorize each and every word Akane had lost while he was with her, whether he deemed it important or not. Furthermore she had insisted on him being punctual, a by far larger problem for the fanged boy. But somehow he managed to find his way to the backside of the dojo in time to avoid a skinning. He even had a few minutes to spare. Nabiki for her part was rather surprised to see him already waiting for her when she arrived at the appointed time. Not that anyone except a telepath would have noticed, but that's Nabiki we're talking about.  
  
"Nice to see you could make it.." she told him, sitting down by his side.  
  
"It's not like I had much choice...," he replied dryly.  
  
"Not if you fancy your hide," she agreed amiably.  
  
He didn't reply to this, and so they simply sat there for a while in silence. Unusual considering the middle-Tendo's outlook on what was supposed to be a waste of time. But finally her curiosity got the better of her and she started her interview.  
  
"So, Ryoga, what did you find out?" she asked him calmly, suppressing the urge to fidget.  
  
"Nothing," the boy answered flatly, his face expressionless.  
  
"What do you mean with 'nothing'?" she asked incredulously. "She must have told you something! She's always talking to her little P-Chan!"  
  
Ryoga turned to face her and for the first time Nabiki got a good look at his eyes. They looked weary, hollow somehow. Like he had taken all of his prior depressions, distilled them until he had removed all impurities, and then added some black for coloring.  
  
"Not one word," he insisted in that same flat voice, his eyes boring into her. "She simply held me for a while. Fed me some leftovers. Then she went to bed. That was all. And the whole time she didn't say one bloody word."  
  
He turned away from her again and leaned back into the wall. Nabiki, still mesmerized by the intensity of his gaze, almost jumped when he continued to talk.  
  
"You know, when Ranma was still with us, she always had so many things to tell me. Well, not me of course, but her P-Chan. The things the jerk had done to annoy her. The things the pervert had done to make her mad. And the things HER fiancé had done to make her happy. It was always Ranma with her. You almost thought she couldn't phrase one simple sentence without his name in it. Sometimes it was almost boring. Like there was no one else around here who did anything interesting. And who knows, maybe there wasn't. At least from her point of view. So where does that leave her now, with Ranma gone?" Ryoga turned back towards the girl by his side as if waiting for an answer. An answer he gave himself though. "It leaves her without anything worth talking about. That's what it does."  
  
Riled out of her stupor by his words, Nabiki shot back an incredulous look at him.  
  
"Come on, you're exaggerating. I know li'l sis was kind of focused on that jerk, but she's no kid anymore. She's going to get over him. She's tough."  
  
Ryoga answered her with the same look he had given her before, dark and almost vacant.  
  
"Tough? What's that got to do with anything?" he asked her flatly. "Akane will survive this just like she survived everything else. No doubt about that. But don't expect to see that little sister of yours ever again. That would need more than a miracle…"  
  
---  
  
The dojo was dark and silent when Akane made her way over to it. Small wonder as the sun had already started to settle and it had seen no use lately. Akane didn't mind the fact. The darkness reflected her mood quite perfectly, as did the silence. Pushing the doors close behind her back, she walked over to the large sign depicting the dojo's motto. There she stopped for a moment in contemplation of those words deeper meaning, as had been taught to her by her father more than a decade ago. Then she bowed and, straightening her gi, turned to take up a position in the dojo's center with an determined expression on her face. She started her exercises with an almost laughably easy kata. Something that would have been taught to a beginner maybe. She went through the moves calmly, accurately, without any hint of her usual impatient tendencies. And why should they show up anyway? She was in no hurry tonight, having nowhere to go, nothing to prepare. No one to worry or be mad about. Completing the kata she started a new one, slightly more complicated than the first one, but as flawless in it's execution. Kata after kata she performed, each one more demanding than the one before. Though some of her moves still had a little mechanic feel to them, her overall performance displayed a surprising amount of grace. So much that even the greatest of critics had to give her credit for it.  
  
"Not bad, tomboy. Maybe there's still hope for you."  
  
Akane never reacted to the statement, coming out of the shadows of one of the dojo's corners. Instead she continued her exercise, slowly resembling a complicated dance more than a martial practice.  
  
"You should watch out with the next jump though," the voice continued, unconcerned by her ignorance. "Touchdown's a bitch from that angle..."  
  
True to those words, Akane almost stumbled when she came out of her summersault, but she managed to alter her momentum just in time to avoid a stumble and fall. Shaking her head in discontent, she started the same kata all over again. This time she managed to land almost flawlessly, maybe wobbling a bit but otherwise fine.  
  
"Hmph," the voice from the shadows remarked, "not bad. I could have done it better, of course. Even with one leg in a cast. But for you it was pretty impressive."  
  
Untouch by these comments, Akane continued her exercises, kicking and flipping, punching, jumping and rolling in utter silence. She seemed lost in those moves and forms, completely submerged in a world of whirling limbs and rapid movements. Until one of her leaps carried her into one of the corners of the dojo where a missed step almost made her smash into a dark form that leaned against the wall. There wasn't much to see of it, just a flash of red that seemed to belong to a shirt covering the torso, and the bluish-black outline of a wild crop of hair, almost like a halo shining around the head. The sight made Akane stop dead in her tracks, eyes big as saucers and mouth ajar.  
  
"Ranma..." she finally whispered, arms falling powerless to her sides.  
  
"Huh...?" the shadow remarked intelligently, surprised by her reaction. Akane turned to fully face the dark form in front of her, cocking her head to the side and frowning slightly.  
  
"Why?" she simply asked, her voice betraying next to no emotion.  
  
"Why what?" her question got returned in confusion.  
  
"Why did you do this?"  
  
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," came the defensive reply. "And you've got to admit that it solved a lot of problems. I mean, everybody got a break and..."  
  
"Did you even bother to think about what you were doing?"  
  
"'Course I did!" This time the response sounded maybe a little angry. "You think I played the pincushion out of fun? Just give it another week or two and everything's gonna be just peachy. I mean,… okay, maybe I overlooked one or two details.." Once more the voice trailed off as Akane continued to interrupt it.  
  
"Do you think a kiss would have changed anything?"  
  
"What..!!"  
  
"Would I have known then?" Akane continued, reaching up to gently stroke the figures cheek.  
  
"A... Akane? You're... you're not serious, are you?"  
  
"I would give anything to know…" she stated in a low voice, leaning in closer, her head tilting up until her lips where only an inch away from the shrouded figures face. There was no reply to her remark, only an ominous silence that seemed to stretch out forever. But then, in a sudden movement, she pushed the figure away, sending it to the ground where it landed with a loud, clattering sound. Staring down at her old training-dummy with its inexpertly sewn clothes and the dislocated wig, Akane let out her breath in a sigh.  
  
"...but I guess I never will," she concluded, stepping over the remains of her once prized punching-bag. Then she walked out of the dojo, her head bowed as she quietly shut the doors behind her.  
  
Once the room was quiet again, another shadow stepped out from close where she had toppled the crude image of her late fiancé. Invisible to normal eyes there had not been much point in actually hiding, but old habits obviously die hard.  
  
"Akane.." he whispered, hands clenching and unclenching out of a similar habit. Then his spectral face took on a determined expression and he nodded once, as if to confirm a decision he had made. Stepping forward, he walked after her, never bothering with the doors as he did so.  
  
---  
  
Kasumi stood on the porch, her hands distractedly playing with her apron. Night had already fallen and the yard was shrouded in darkness. It was quiet out here, almost unnaturally so compared to the past two years. There had been a time when she enjoyed the silence of those late hours. Now it only reminded her of the loss her family had suffered. There had always been sounds around the house as long as Ranma had been here. Arguments, laughter, shouting, or just simple conversations. If he hadn't been part of them he had often been the reason or the topic of those. Oh, the Tendo's still had a lot to talk about, especially concerning the late Saotome. But the mood those conversation were held in was always a subdued, if not depressed one. Even Nabiki had trouble presenting a brave front, and if she couldn't hold herself back all the time then it was a small wonder that their father hadn't already flooded the whole house. Looking up at the stars, she noticed a shadow moving up and above her left. She realized it was a cat, sneaking along the roof. Curiously she wondered how it had gotten up there. Why it was up there at all. But who knew with cats? Maybe it was just out for a stroll. Still, it was funny how many of them seemed to hang around this place of late. Kasumi prided herself of knowing everyone in the neighborhood by name, and this included the pets. And yet she had seen many of the furred mousetraps that didn't belong to any household she knew of. This wasn't their turf, and still the local cats, though usually highly territorial, didn't seem to mind. They only appeared to watch the intruders curiously and otherwise minded their own business. As suddenly as the dark form that had held Kasumi's attention had come into view, it vanished over the edge of the roof again, it's tail swishing as if to say goodbye. And as soon as it was gone, Kasumi startled, shook out of her reverie by the sudden lack of a focal-point.  
  
"Cats," she wondered quietly, shaking her head in amazement. "As if we had nothing else to worry about…"  
  
---  
  
Authors note: Didl dumm dumm dumm, another one bites the dust.. Another chapter, another chapter!!  
  
Man, will I be glad once I can come up with the fun-part. I doubt that I can keep up the 'mourning about Ranma'-sequences much longer. I start to get moody myself. But hey, I've got most of the characters were I want them now, so I should soon be able to add an 'Action' and maybe even a 'Humor'- tag to the story. Well, considering what I think of as funny, this might not be the most reassuring of statements. But then again, maybe you'll enjoy it anyway. Only one way to find out. You've got to read the next chapter too. Mean trick, isn't it?  
  
Until then,  
  
R.Martin 


	5. Peculiar partnerships

It's been a while  
  
Since I could...  
  
Hold my head up high  
  
It's been a while  
  
Since I first saw you  
  
It's been a while  
  
Since I could stand on my own two feet again  
  
And it's been a while  
  
Since I could call you  
  
But everything I can't remember  
  
As fucked up as it all may seem  
  
the Consequences that I've rendered  
  
Have stretched myself beyond my means  
  
(Excerpt from: Staind-It's been a while)  
  
Soul Heir  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
1 Chapter 5. Peculiar partnerships  
  
Imagine the room of a girl that has already begun the complicated metamorphosis towards a young woman. You can still see traces of a protected childhood everywhere. Like teddy bears and other stuffed toys placed on sideboards, or cute porcelain dolls and other trinkets littering the place. Then there's the other stuff, more adult in nature, like fashion magazines lying next to the bed in a heap. Books about architecture, art, theatre, about science, even psychology. Different fields of interest, some overlapping, some not. It seems that whoever lives here is still looking for her place in life. Or once had, for the books seem pushed aside, carelessly thrown into a far corner. The official inhabitant of this room had no use for them at the moment anyhow, as she was sleeping in her bed. There was someone with her though, and wide awake too if he could be called that in his current state. He was sitting on the desk with the soft moonlight shining undisturbed through his translucent form.  
  
"Boring," the spectral entity sang in a voice that expressed exactly that sentiment. "Boring, boring, boring…"  
  
Looking down at the girl in the bed he idly swung his legs.  
  
"You know," he told the sleeping beauty, "I never really thought about it much, but ghosts don't sleep. I mean, sure, why should we? After all we don't get tired and nothing. But it plain sucks! And there people go around and call death 'the big sleep'. Makes you want to laugh. But I guess ghosts don't laugh that much either."  
  
Swinging down from the desk he continued his monologue as he strolled over to the bed.  
  
"You know, I'd give about anything for a nice little nap. Even if it was beside an uncute tomboy like you."  
  
He sat down next to her, on the edge of the bed, and cocked his head as if in thought.  
  
"I guess I'd even eat some of your food. 'Course, I'd probably get a real bad case of indigestion, and a splitting headache in case I complain about it. I wouldn't mind though. There's really something to be said about your cooking. If it doesn't kill you it does make you stronger. And it won't leave much to be feared either. I mean, what's the occasional demon against that... thing... you made the other week? What was it anyway? An omelet? Chicken shanghai? Or was it supposed to be a tuna-sandwich? Never figured it out, really."  
  
He reached out a hand, as if trying to push an unruly strand of hair from her face. Not that he managed to do so because his fingers passed right through it.  
  
"Talking bout fear, you know what's funny too? There's an awful lot of cats around lately. I didn't even know that there were so many in this place. And trust me, I would have noticed! But the strange part is, I don't really mind. It's like... I dunno... Usually my body kinda locked up and my heart started to run real wild and then I was panicking and everything. Almost like it was whenever we... you know... had a little time for ourselves. That always made me freak out too. Though I've got to admit..." he smiled ruefully, his hand returning to scratch his own head. "I really liked those moments. Never told you that, did I? But it's true. I would have liked to spend more times with you like that." There was a weak chuckle coming from him, accompanied by a queer smirk.  
  
"Then again, I probably wouldn't be talking like this if I was still alive. There's something to be said about not having a body. Maybe it's the hormones or something. They say that at our age hormones are a real pain. Confusing and stuff… Not that I've got to bother about all that anymore…"  
  
Hanging his head, he played with his trademark pigtail in what might be called a nervous manner. Funny, considering he claimed to have no more nervous system to speak of.  
  
"But I guess you still do," he continued sadly. "And there's nothing I can do to help. Just watch. Talk to the air. And hope that you'll… keep me waiting... for a while longer. Even if it's boring. Boring, boring, boring..."  
  
  
  
The dreams changed almost without Akane noticing. Maybe that was because the changes seemed so small, almost insignificant. There were still the images of death, of hurt, the feeling of being abandoned once again. And yet there were moments when she would turn and see a trace of him out of the corner of her eyes. The tip of his pigtail. The hem of his shirt. Or maybe the wind seemed to carry traces of his voice, the words almost impossible to make out, but clearly his. It was as if he was hiding right behind her, changing position with every move she made. Too fast to catch, anticipating her every step of the way. She started to feel like a cat chasing her own tail. Like she had during those sparring sessions when Ranma had evaded even her best shots as if they where nothing. It was almost enough to get her mad. But then the scene would change and with that, the hurt began anew.  
  
---  
  
There are people that get up in the early morning and greet the new day with a smile. And then there's people like Kinyou who greet the day with not nearly as much enthusiasm. He rolled out of his futon, mumbling something about getting his bladder removed surgically, and went in search for some fresh clothes to wear. Getting dressed quickly as his choices were rather few, consisting of the usual t-shirt and jeans combo, he left the room and headed straight for the bath. Once he came down the hallway he was greeted by the residential kunoichi already standing guard in front of the door Kinyou was heading for.  
  
"Good morning," the deceptively female looking guy greeted him. "I hope you had an enjoyable night."  
  
"Hmm," Kinyou answered, his vocal facilities not yet up to full function.  
  
"I hope you are not in to much of a hurry," Konatsu continued amiably, obviously undisturbed by the other guy's grumbled reply. "The mistress is currently taking a shower in there. But she should be done any minute."  
  
As if to prove his words, the shuffling of feet could be heard on the other side and the door opened, revealing a freshly cleaned okonomiyali-chef in not much more than a thin shirt. With the light coming from behind her that sight did a better job at bringing Kinyou back to the waking world than even two pints of really strong coffee could ever hope for. Not that it helped any with his vocal chords.  
  
"Oh, good morning Kinyou," she greeted him, "already up?"  
  
"Uh-huh,.." he replied, feeling pretty awkward as he tried to look at anything else than her.  
  
"You sure you're okay?" Ukyou asked, sounding a bit concerned. "You look a little pale."  
  
"M-mhh," he replied, shaking his head . "Just need toilet.. now!"  
  
With that he pressed by the surprised girl and hastily shut the door behind himself.  
  
'Damn,' he thought crossly, 'now I've got to wait for another ten minutes. At least!'  
  
Half an hour later all three sat together again, at the breakfast table down by the kitchen. Daintily picking at his food, Konatsu watched his boss as she seemed more interested at forming patterns in her rice than actually eating it. Torn between etiquette and worry, he finally dared to address her.  
  
"So, have you found out anything yet?"  
  
Startled, Ukyou looked up from her creative exploits and looked at him blankly.  
  
"No," she finally replied in a quiet voice, "not yet."  
  
"And we've searched quiet a few places," Kinyou threw in between bites. "That lot where it happened, the graveyard, a closed-down restaurant. We've even been under that bridge where this Ranma-guy was supposed to hang around quite a lot. Oh,… " he added as an afterthought, his chopstics gesturing at the surrounding walls, "and we've been here of course. But for now we didn't come up with anything."  
  
Just when he was about to return his attention to the food, he noticed the confused expression on the kunoichi's face.  
  
"What's up," he asked curiously, "you just got an idea where we could find that guy?"  
  
"Why haven't you been to the dojo?" the girlish guy returned the question. "I thought that would be the first place..."  
  
"I wanted to be sure that he isn't anywhere else," Ukyou interrupted him defensively, "before I go there and..."  
  
"What dojo?" Kinyou asked, but the other two seemed to ignore him.  
  
"I understand." Konatsu stated quietly, his head bowed.  
  
"I mean, I knew it was an off-change, but I had to try…" the girl struggled to explain.  
  
"Of course you had..."  
  
"It's not like I really believed he would be found here..."  
  
"It wouldn't be very likely..."  
  
"And I didn't want to give her any false hopes..."  
  
"That was very considerate of you..."  
  
Now Kinyou usually had quite a little patience when he wanted to, but it was still early in the morning and he was felling pretty ignored at the moment. So he forgot about his manners and interrupted the conversation once again.  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a witch-doctor, not a telepath…" he stated sourly. "So if anyone had the kindness to tell me about that bloody dojo? Please?"  
  
---  
  
In the same part of town, another group of people sat around the breakfast table. It consisted of the Tendo-family and their current house-guest, one Hibiki Ryoga. There was a quiet conversation taking place, but it stopped as a creaking sound from the stairs announced the arrival of the only missing member.  
  
Everyone turned their attention to watch the newcomer enter the room. Kasumi was as usual the first one to actually greet her though.  
  
"Good morning Akane," she said with a smile. "How was your night?"  
  
The addressed girl shrugged away the question, taking her place at the table.  
  
"As usual," she simply stated.  
  
"Got anything planned for the day?" Nabiki asked innocently while scanning her younger sister as inconspicuous as possible.  
  
"Not really," Akane replied matter-of-factly while holding her bowl out for Kasumi to fill it with rice. "Why?"  
  
"We could go shopping if you want to." Nabiki proposed casually. "I heard there's a sale in..."  
  
Her words trailed off as Akane's head suddenly jerked around, a confused expression on her face as she stared to her left.  
  
"Akane?" "What's wrong?" "What happened?" "Oh my poor child...!"  
  
Unphased by the four worried voices calling out for her at once, she returned her attention back to the table, though her posture still seemed tense.  
  
"Funny," she stated, sounding a little troubled. "For a moment there I thought I saw... something."  
  
---  
  
Yet another part of town and another house. This one was neither a restaurant nor a domestic building. Maybe it had been one, a long time ago, but now it was hardly more than a ruin that waited to be removed, replaced with something fresh and new and shiny. After all, considering the prices for property in Tokyo, it was a miracle that it had managed to get as rundown as it had. But the man walking up to the building was not interested in acquiring the structure. He was a bit above medium height, with black hair a little longer than the Japanese standard cut for men his age, which was somewhere around the late twenties or maybe early thirties. Gliding smoothly across the rubble that littered the ground he looked a little strange, that with being clothed all in black and those glasses on. Somewhat of a mix between a snake and an owl. Some people tend to forget it, but both animals are seen pretty alike in many cultures. Silent and deadly predators in their own right, they are often depicted as being wise and in possession of many a strange knowledge or skill. Though admittedly, when it comes to cutesy-points, the owl usually wins. The man currently entering the building by squeezing through the boards that were supposed to keep intruders out couldn't have cared less which animal he look more alive. He was pretty preoccupied with finding a safe footing, especially once he made it up what remained of the stairs and onto the second floor. Doubling his attention as to where he put his feet, the man slowly made his way across ominously creaking planks that smelled as rotten as they looked until he reached one last door, hanging ajar in its frame. Carefully pushing it open on rusty hinges that had obviously stopped even remembering oil, he stepped into the room beyond. It wasn't a big room, but in a better state then the rest of the building. The floor actually seemed pretty safe, even clean, and the glass of the window was still intact. There wasn't any furniture here, only a large pillow in one corner. But then, the one he looked for wouldn't care much for furniture in a place like this. This wasn't her place to sleep, or eat, or even hang out. This was a place for meetings, and her usual guestsprobably wouldn't appreciate that kind of stuff anyway. He wasn't her usual kind of guest though, and he actually would have liked a chair to sit on. Well, he would have to make do without one.  
  
"You wanted to see me," he addressed the one other inhabitant of the room without any preamble. He knew out of experience that the old woman, standing by the window with her back to him, wasn't one that liked the usual Japanese greeting ritual. Even though you couldn't have told by the look of her. With that old-fashioned kimono, the wrinkled face and the hair bound up in a knot she looked exactly like something out of a picture book about Japanese traditions.  
  
But however old and frail she might appear, when she turned to face him, he could make out the fire burning in her eyes even from where he stood.  
  
"Well, well," she replied good-naturedly and with a broad grin, "if this ain't our favorite vegetarian dish coming for a house-call. I'm glad to see you made it up here without problems. This is no longer a place for something as heavy or clumsy as a human."  
  
"I've noticed," he replied dryly, brushing some specks of dust from his shirt. "But why did we have to meet here if you knew that?"  
  
"My my, dear doctor," the old one chided playfully, "where's your sense of adventure? I simply thought you could use some training, that's all." Then the expression on her face grew more serious and the wrinkles rearranged themselves into a stern look.  
  
"I take it you already have an idea why I send for you?"  
  
The doctor nodded, his features no less grave than hers.  
  
"Considering the way things worked around here for the last two years I assume it has something to do with the Saotome boy."  
  
The old woman gave him a strange look, something of a assessing nature.  
  
"You do realize that the boy died a week ago, do you?" she asked him dubiously.  
  
"Of course I do," the doctor replied unphased, "after all it was me that wrote the certificate. But I have been a doctor in this place for far too long to believe that this is necessarily the end of the story. Especially considering who exactly we are talking about…"  
  
"Very good!" The old one praised him, nodding in appreciation. "It seems some of you can be taught after all! Now tell me, doctor, if I were to confide in you that I knew of a way to bring him back, but he would have to join us if he agreed, how would you guess he'd react?"  
  
"Considering how he saw your kind when he was alive?" the doctor replied with a hint of sarcasm. "He'd probably run for the hills!"  
  
"Yes, that's probably true," the woman agreed. Then she looked him straight in the eyes, her grin returning as it almost split her face from ear to ear. "But that's what we've got you for, right?"  
  
"Me?" he asked confused. "What makes you think I could make him accept your proposition, let alone your conditions?"  
  
"Because I've got faith in you, my dear doctor," she replied happily, "and so does he."  
  
"Faith, hm?" the man said doubtingly, obviously torn between the need to help and suspicions concerning his hostess' motives . "And what are your guaranties that I wouldn't be betraying that faith if I supported you in this?"  
  
"I understand your hesitation," the grizzled woman assured him, "but you've got to understand that I'm hardly the only one interested in the boy. I may be ahead of the pack, but others are looking for him too, with their own offers and their own conditions. You could say that the boy has acquired quite a fan-club among the higher beings since his fights with the dragon and the phoenix. Maybe you would prefer him to become an angel? I'm sure they'll give him his wings as soon as he puts a foot into heaven. The same for the demons and at least half a dozen pantheons I know of. But I ask you doctor, do you truly believe that boy was made to be a saint all the time? Or a sinner? Or any other job they'd find for him. Doing the same kind of thing for all of eternity? Because that is not what I'm offering him. I'm offering him a life. One life, and one day it will end again just like everybody else's. And all I'm asking for in return is that he joins us in a couple of hunts. That he helps my kind in fulfilling the contract. The rest of the time he can doze in the sun if he wants to…" She looked the good doctor squarely in the eye, a suggestive smile on her lips.  
  
"The others might offer him eternity, but they can't find him because they always forget about his mate. Imagine if we could bring him back with us, that wouldn't just be the best for him. It would be the best for both of them. You've got no choice but to agree to this, dear Mr. Tofu," she finally concluded, "not simply as a friend,… but as a healer."  
  
"Allright," he sighed, acknowledging his defeat as he knew that this old gal would neither lie nor joke about topics like this. "What do I have to do?"  
  
---  
  
A few hours after this peculiar meeting, the youngest Tendo was walking the streets of her hometown for the first time in days. She had tactfully declined Nabiki's offer of a shopping-spree after a short debate and claimed that she'd rather go on a walk. She had even excused herself from Ryoga who had offered to accompany her, claiming that she needed to spend some time alone. Not that she hadn't done so quite a few times lately. Whatever her reasons, her wish got respected and so she was currently underway without any destination but a very real need to leave the house for a while. Maybe it had been the memories crashing down at her from every corner, or that feel of pity and sorrow emanating from her family. Too bad there was hardly a place for miles around that didn't remind her of a certain pig-tailed idiot one way or the other nor any person that hadn't at least heard of what had transpired and looked at her just like her family did. So she tried to shut out the world around her, letting her feet find their own way. Coincidentally, that way proved to be the route she always took when she went to school. And like always when she and her magically- challenged fiancé had passed by a certain house, there was a splashing sound as a load of water passed by her, almost wetting the hem of her shirt. Akane bit her lip, suddenly confronted with the irrational urge to turn around and smirk at an irritated readhead that would habitually be there.  
  
"Old habits die hard, don't they...?" she heard a raspy voice state next to her.  
  
"What did you say?" the girl asked confusedly, turning towards the old woman they usually refered to as the 'ladle-lady' because of her practice of washing the pavement in the old-fashioned way. A traditional habit that was supposed to keep away evil spirits as well as the more mundane grime. But the old lady didn't seem to hear her, looking instead towards the direction she had thrown the water at.  
  
"No more changes, no more fears..." the old woman mumbled absentmindedly, "ain't that boring? Maybe you should go back to the pit. They say there's an exit on the other side of it…" With that she returned inside the house, humming to herself and leaving not only a baffled girl behind.  
  
"Man, that was scary," Ranma said, walking next to his former fiancée and his spectral face still wide eyed. "I mean, I knew that old lady was something else, always hitting me with that damned ladle of hers, but this...?"  
  
He gestured helplessly with his arms to express his confusion, though the girl he accompanied had hardly a chance to notice this.  
  
"What did she mean with 'the pit'? Does she want me to go to the graveyard or what? Or maybe she's plain nuts and this was nothing but some crazy coincidence? Gee, I believe I'm getting a headache if I don't stop thinking about it..."  
  
Suddenly his head shot up as he noticed a familiar figure approaching from down the road.  
  
"Oh great," he stated morosely, "as if one madcap wasn't enough..."  
  
Akane didn't notice the presence of Kuno Tatewaki until she nearly crashed into him. So great was her confusion about her last encounter that she almost stepped around him and simply continued on her way. Maybe that would have been the wisest choice anyhow, but hardly surprising, he wouldn't let her. Instead he addressed her in what was almost his usual way, if maybe a little subdued.  
  
"Greetings, oh fair Akane," he greeted in his 'stage-voice', "too long it has been 'till last our path crossed. I hope you can forgive my neglectance of the duty to court my beloved yet I had spent some time in reclusion to contemplate the paths our lives have been forced upon."  
  
"Sorry Kuno, not now..." Akane replied, not in the mood to put up with this scion of samurai at the moment. She tried to pass by him, but he stepped in her way again.  
  
"I understand that this are troubling times even for the a tigress such as you," he continued urgently while still blocking her. "And I wouldn't ever dream to steal your precious time, but still I have got a question that can not wait to be answered!"  
  
"Anything that gets you out of my hair," Akane replied honestly, stopping her attempts to circumvent the buffoon and looking at him with impatience. Kuno looked at her expectantly as if he had only heard the agreement in her answer, and considering him, he probably had.  
  
"Has the spell been broken?" he finally asked, a gleam of hope in his eyes.  
  
"What spell?" she replied, unsure of what he was referring to. It was strange, but in the last two years she had seen so many magic that she couldn't really pinpoint any particular one anymore. Especially related to the Kunos. Then she suddenly remembered what Tatewaki usually referred to by that name.  
  
"You're talking about Ranma, aren't you?" she concluded, the temperature in her vicinity dropping a degree or two out of ominous reasons.  
  
"Yes!" he agreed, completely ignoring the signs she gave of, nicely illustrated by the way he grabbed her shoulders. "Now please, by all that is sacred. Tell me, his hold on you broken?"  
  
Usually, an act or a speech like this would have send the kendoist to the hospital, but the times had changed and some thing simply didn't work like they used to. Akane for example didn't even bother to remove his hands, glaring at him coldly instead.  
  
"No!" she simply answered with a finality far more painful to Tatewaki than any mallet could have been. She didn't have to say more, as his hands dropped to his side and his proud visage crumbled.  
  
"It is as I feared," he said in a shaky voice, his chest heaving with emotions. "When I heard the stories of how you acted after the sorcerers defeat I feared that it wasn't over yet. I know you might never find it in your heart to forgive me, but you must believe me that I am truly sorry!"  
  
"You are?" Akane asked, surprised by the admission. From all of Ranma's former rivals she had considered him the least likely to learn from the experience, mainly because of his obviously infinite capacity for ignorance.  
  
His answer disappointed her though, even if not for long.  
  
"Truly," he assured her, his chest puffing out again, "because it hurts me to even reflect about what I have to do to cleanse you of the last traces of his vile sorcery!"  
  
Before Akane had a chance to even get irritated, he had already produced a bouquet of black roses and shoved them into her face. The effect was the same as always, consisting of swirling petals, a cloud of dust, and the recipient of this lovely present crashing to the ground unconscious.  
  
---  
  
"Let's run this by me again," Kinyou muttered in irritation as he walked down the street. "We've visited every stupid location in this town, looking for your ex, except the one place where he lived, trained and had something as close to a family as he ever got. Where's the point? Why didn't we go there in the first place?"  
  
"I already told you, I'm sorry!" Ukyou growled back. "But I needed to be sure that he wasn't anywhere else before I went and disturbed the Tendo's."  
  
"Ah yeah?" Kinyou replied incredulously, shoving his hands deeply into the pockets of his coat. "Sounds like bullshit to me! You know what I believe? I believe you still hoped to find him spooking under your bed. Honestly, if we had found him anywhere, wouldn't you have invited him over? But that's probably of no use if he's haunting the place of one of your rivals, right?"  
  
Angrily stomping along, Ukyou shot him a glare that was almost tangible in its intensity.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" she insisted furiously.  
  
"I think you do" her companion insisted unimpressed.  
  
But before their argument could escalate any further they both stopped dead in their tracks, surprised by the strange display in front of them. For Ukyou, it was the sight of Kuno Tatewaki dashing down the street with the limp form of one Tendo Akane cradled in his arms and a mad gleam in his eyes. For Kinyou it was more the spectral form on the kendoists back, placing furious punches that proved ineffective against the still living opponent and fitting the description of the guy Ukyou had asked him to look for quite perfectly. Dumbfounded as they were by this unexpected display, they watched in horrified fascination until Kuno vanished behind the next corner. But as soon as he was gone they found their voices back.  
  
"Shit," they chorused and took off in hot pursuit of the crazed swordsman.  
  
---  
  
Authors rant: Okay, one Sunday wasted, one chapter to show for it. Not bad. Not bad. Then again, I promised to keep the story flowing, and maybe relieve my honored readers of some of the confusion that plagued them regarding this epic. Sure hoped I managed it. Oh, and a hint for the next chapter: The Kunos, Ukyou, Kinyou, Akane and even Ranma all meet up. Sounds interesting, ne? Sure hope you stay tuned.  
  
R.Martin  
  
PS: All hail to my reviewers, but especially Saggit. You really got me going. Thanks. 


	6. Splitting Heirs

Our history speaks in thunder  
  
From a thousand village halls  
  
In blood and sweat and sacrifice  
  
In honouring every call  
  
So the forces gathered against the thorn  
  
A- piercing in their side  
  
The brave new world is beckoning  
  
So the olden world must die  
  
In the offices of the city  
  
At all the tables of oak and power  
  
The snares are laid and baited  
  
For the approaching of the hour  
  
A hundred justifications  
  
And the presses are ready to roll  
  
The gateways to the nation  
  
They are firmly under control  
  
Chorus:  
  
On on on, cried the leaders at the back  
  
We went galloping down the blackened hills  
  
And into the gaping trap  
  
The bridges are burnt behind us  
  
And there's waiting guns ahead  
  
Into the valley of death  
  
Rode the brave hundreds  
  
(Excerpt: New Model Army – The Charge)  
  
Soul Heir  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
1 Chapter 6. Splitting Heirs  
  
Kuno Tatewaki, proud scion of the house of Kuno, rising star of the fencing world and self-acclaimed 'Blue thunder of Furinkan-high' had more than just a few screws loose. That much was official. Even those well bred and with etiquette to spare agreed that he sometimes acted more than just a little eccentric. Everyone outside their distinguished circles called him plain nuts and waited for the day when he would go on a vacation in a nicely padded car while wearing a jacket with nice, long sleeves that could be linked on his back. Everyone that saw him run down the street with a manic expression and a haunted look on his face, would have probably rejoiced, knowing that that day had finally come to pass. The only thing cutting short on their glee was the limp form of a girl he cradled in his arm as he ran like the devil was on his back. Not that this would prompt those onlookers to step in his way and demand an explanation as to the girls questionable state. There were only a handful of people in this part of Tokyo that could even dream about stepping in the way of this maniac with his undisputed martial-arts skills and a complete lack of common sense. And one of those was already in hot pursuit.  
  
---  
  
"I… can't… make… it… much… longer..!" Kinyou huffed as he raced behind Ukyou, trying desperately to keep up with her.  
  
"You probably won't have too," she reassured him, seemingly untouched by the strain of the chase. "I bet he's heading for his home. That's just down that street over there."  
  
Running with long strides, her black hair streaking behind her and favorite weapon at the ready, Ukyou looked like fury incarnate, promising a world of pain to whatever stood at the end of this merry chase. Even exhausted and distracted as Kinyou was, that image reminded him of why he had found himself attracted to her in the first place, back in that all-boys school. Ukyou presented a stunning sight when she wanted to, tough as a nail, talented with anything that was even slightly related to kitchen-utensils and almost impossible to scare. That was a pretty important fact for a guy who got visited by ethereal entities ever so often. Too bad that resistance to fear hadn't included relations. At least that was how it had appeared to Kinyou back then. This girl wouldn't hesitate to meet a Sumo-wrestler challenging her for a fight head on, but one guy asks her on a date and she suddenly changes her address. Well, he had decided to forgive her for that little slip. Because he was basically a nice guy. Very forgiving. And he had grown out of such childish grudges by now…  
  
'Nice butt...' Kinyou thought dreamily as he followed at her rear.  
  
---  
  
Ranma was mad. Freaking, screaming, howling, sparking mad, to be exact. He had tried to punch Kuno. He had tried to kick him. He had screamed, cursed and threatened him. He even went as low as trying to bite him. All to no avail. And the worst thing was that this stupid Shakespeare freak never even acknowledged him. Ranma could tolerate a lot of things. Someone tried to murder him? So what? Sold for rice and pickles? Forgotten by tomorrow. He got groped and humiliated in front of everyone? There would be payback and that's that. No hard feelings. But no-one, absolutely no-one, had the right to completely ignore him. Especially not such a petty buffoon like Kuno. That meant war. Sure, it seemed like there was little that Ranma could do to get back at him right now, but there had to be a way. And if there was a way, then Ranma would find it. He always did. Though he desperately hoped that this came to pass before Kuno had a chance to execute whatever he had in wait for the freshly abducted girl in his arms.  
  
---  
  
Ranma wasn't completely right about Tatewaki's ignorance. The deranged Kendoist sensed his presence in a way he couldn't quite explain. Not that he could tell where exactly Ranma was. Up, down, left or right, Kuno wasn't sure. But he knew that he was close by. Just as he had been told. The evil sorcerer would never die a honorable death like he had pretended back then. Of course, this had to be nothing but an attempted distraction to evade the watchful eye of the scion of Kuno. Freaked out by this undeniably unbeatable fighter of justice's never-wavering vigilance, he had staged his own passing to fool those weak-minded enough to see in him a creature of honor. And while everybody mourned with the Tendos and Saotomes, that soulless villain had turned into a wraith and begun to further his hold on the fierce tigress that was Akane, draining away her fiery spirit while somehow hiding the pigtailed girl too. But this diabolic plan would never succeed. Not as long as Kuno was alive to thwart his plans. And he would! They had promised! And they never lied to him! Why should they? After all, they were family.  
  
-  
  
Arriving at his ancestral estate, otherwise known as 'Weirdo Park', 'Kuno's Cuckoos Nest' or simply 'Mad Mansion', Kuno headed straight for a secluded corner of the garden, a place usually reserved for quiet contemplation and ceremonies of honor for the revered ancestors of this proud clan. For here, amongst tall pines and carefully arranged hedges stood a family shrine that befit such a proud family of noble samurai blood. Beautifully lacquered and ornamented, it stood within a pagoda of cypress-wood. On its polished surface, pictures in expensive frames were arranged, painted or photographed befitting the period when they had been crafted. They obviously depicting every Kuno that had resided on this grounds for the last couple of generations. That was pretty unusual for a place like this, as it was, for all practical purposes, open to public. Even more abnormal was the antique sword that resided on a stand in the middle of the whole ensemble, framed by incense burners that emitted a heavy scent to the air. It seemed like this was a place that had been prepared for some kind of ritual, for not even people as mad or wealthy as the Kunos would leave such treasures out in the open just for fun. The wards pinned to the pillars of the pagoda were a pointer too, of course. As were the charms, crucifixes and talismans glued or nailed to any available surface. It looked like someone with a really mean streak of paranoia when it came to esoteric matters had been in charge of the decorations. Too bad that taste, or actual knowledge of the proper rites and arrangements of the mystic arts, had obviously not been in the job-description.  
  
-  
  
Gently Kuno put down his precious burden in front of the carefully prepared shrine. Placing Akane with her torso leaning on the altar-like table, her head facing the open space they had just crossed, he smiled ruefully at his unconscious love.  
  
"Fear no more my heart," he whispered to her, "today will see you set free once more."  
  
With that he stood up again, a determined expression on his face, and turned towards the faces of his predecessors.  
  
"Honored ancestors," he exclaimed thunderously, chest puffed out and head held high, "heading your call I brought before you the woman that was kept from me by the darkest of magic and the most evil of deceits. Now grant me the power of 'the true sword' so I may slice cleanly through the chains that bind my beloved one to that three times cursed knave, that most disgusting cur, whose name had once been Saotome Ranma."  
  
No answer came forth, at least nothing that was audible to anyone else than Kuno Tatewaki himself, but his hands reached out and he slowly took the sword from its stand, reverently holding it horizontally with outstretched arms for a moment. Then he turned again, facing away from the shrine, one hand grabbing the sword's hilt while the other one held it by the sheath, right under the guard. Taking a deep breath, Kuno got into a ready-stance, glaring at the ground in front of him.  
  
"Saotome!" he suddenly called out in righteous fury, "I know you are here! Now come out of your hiding place and face me like the man you should have been!"  
  
-  
  
If Ranma hadn't been mad already, that last challenge of Kuno would have made a fine 'final straw'.  
  
"Who's hiding?!" he exclaimed angrily into the deranged kendoist's face. "It's not my fault that you're to blind to see me, idiot! If I had my way I'd come back right now, even if it was just to kick your sorry ass for what you did to… Akane…" That last part came a little calmer, a hint of guilt audible amidst the notes of anger and frustration. Sure it was stupid, but he felt a little responsible for his ineffectiveness when it came to stop Kuno from abducting his former fiancée. Distracted by those thoughts he almost missed the fact that his opponent had barred the ancient blade.  
  
-  
  
There was some rustling in a nearby bush as two forms sneaked closer to their quarry's hideout.  
  
"Damn, what's he got that sword for?" one of them asked, a female by the sound of the voice.  
  
"Search me," the other one, obviously a male, replied. "There's a lot of ceremonies that include swords." He hesitated for a second, continuing a little insecurely a moment later. "Say, this Kuno guy, he's not likely to… you know… sacrifice virgins or something…?"  
  
"What?" the female replied hotly, only to be shushed by her companion at once. "He'd never..!" she continued moderately quieter, gracing him with a glare. "He may be crazy as a coconut, but he'd never hurt Akane. At least I don't think so…" she added with a hint of insecurity.  
  
Suddenly the topic of their conversation shouted out a challenge to his deceased nemesis while posing as if preparing for a duel.  
  
"What's he doing?" the female asked in confusion, "Who's he going to fight?"  
  
"Dunno," the male replied, "but that Ranma-guy better looks out, 'cause if that sword's magical, then he'll go Chop-Suey if he keeps standing in the way like he does right now."  
  
As if summoned by that remark, Kuno chose that exact moment to start his attack .  
  
---  
  
Drawing the sacred blade of the clan Kuno, its latest wielder, Tatewaki, saw the whole world change before his eyes. It grew darker, more threatening, with the warm hues of sunlight gone and shadows everywhere. The trees, the bushes, even the grass under his feet, seemed lifeless and dead. The sky and clouds appeared to blend into a dirty-gray mess, hovering over his head like a broken concrete ceiling waiting for the right moment to crash down and burry him alive under its boundless weight. And amidst these horrors of the true world, the hated form of Ranma Saotome, a translucent wraith with clawed hands and burning eyes, stood looking at him in irritation, his fanged mouth moving in mockery that never reached Kuno's ear. For as the 'true sword' revealed all that veiled the mortal eye, it protected its possessor from the lies and spells of the creatures of darkness. And so, seeing this abomination of all that was pure and good march up to him with murder written all over its distorted visage, Tatewaki did something he had never done before. The blade, and certain victory in hand, he rushed his enemy without holding a speech first.  
  
-  
  
Ranma realized the kendoist rushing him just in time to evade the sweeping strike that would have otherwise beheaded him. It wasn't that he figured he would have to, that with being already dead and all, but it was a fond old habit and he was still a martial-artist at the core. So he rolled away from the strike and came back up a couple of feet away, addressing his attacker with wonder.  
  
"Hey," he called out, "what's with the warm welcome? You could at least have given me a warning…!"  
  
To his surprise, Kuno didn't even acknowledge his complaints, delivering strike after strike at his ever-evading prey instead. Though he was unable to grace the ghost's form, he showed great endurance and strength, visible at the collateral damage the surrounding took from his near-misses. Ranma, for his part, started to take the attacks pretty seriously. Because whenever that strange blade came near him, he felt as if the hair on his neck stood straight up and an icy feeling ran down his spine. Considering he possessed neither, that was a pretty scaring feeling. The instincts that had saved his hide during his living-days more times than he could count practically screamed at him to stay as far away as possible. But the 'Saotome final technique', otherwise known as running away, was out of the question though. Leaving Akane alone with a guy that was clearly beyond just talking to fluffy bunnies was completely out of the question. So he bided his time until he got a better idea with evading tactics. And insults.  
  
"Gee, Kuno, where you've found that rusty knife? Did the cook throw it away?" he mocked without really impressing the aggressor. "I'd thought killing me once would have been enough, but no, you just have to go on getting on my nerves. What happened to respecting the dead? You've always been sooo great at lecturing about manners and stuff! Well, here's news for you. Attacking harmless ghosts is bad manners! And unfair too! I mean, its not like I could defend myself in my current state! And that from a man of honor like you…! Man, Kuno, I'm really disappointed!" But those were just words, his only way to get back at the swordsman throwing strike after strike at him, and they were just as ineffectual as fighting back, considering Tatewaki's inability to hear them. He really hated to admit it, but Ranma suspected that he had somehow managed to get once again deep into shit.  
  
-  
  
Watching the spectacle of a windmilling Kuno slaughtering the landscape from her hiding place in the undergrowth, Ukyou started to share that sentiment. From what Kinyou described her of Ranma's few possible counters, make that zero actually, and the possible effects of an encounter with that blade, like complete annihilation of his soul or a nice, hot place in a hell of your choice, to name a few, things didn't look very promising for her late fiancé. Alone he didn't stand a chance to defend himself against the crazed attacks of his opponent, let alone beat him. But then again, he wasn't really alone, now was he? Maybe things between her and Ranma hadn't worked out as they should have and maybe she had played her part in his demise, but he was still her friend. That was the foundation their relation had been build upon, whatever else they had or hadn't. And Ukyou would do many things, but never sit by and watch while a friend of hers suffered. Or more accurately, listen to the live-commentaries of someone who actually saw more than just one of the brawls participants.  
  
"Kuno!" she screamed, rising from her hiding place and stepping out into the open . "You want a fight? Then come here a face someone who can fight back."  
  
Brandishing her trademark-weapon, she didn't wait for the startled swordsman's reply, preferring to charge him instead.  
  
-  
  
Ranma almost received a solid hit into the chest when he Ukyou's angered challenge reached his ear. He hadn't noticed her presence until now, that with being distracted by his old adversary with the funny speech-pattern. Evading the possibly lethal thrust from that scary blade by leaning back like a limbo-dancer he risked a look towards the shouts source. What he saw was a shadow of human proportions with a shovel-like weapon in hand diving from out of the sun at his opponent. Kuno never noticed her, too engrossed with skewering a certain ghost. There was a loud clanging noise like something heavy and metallic hitting against a hollow obstacle and the samurai-trainee suddenly froze in his tracks, an indented spatula his new headwear. Now Ranma knew from an old evaluation method otherwise known as 'trial and error' what exactly Nerima's own Don Quichote could stomach thanks to his sometimes very annoying resilience to physical abuse, and what he couldn't. Thanks to that same method he knew exactly how much Ukyou was able to dish out with her primary weapon, especially after a running start like that. Under the usual circumstances Kuno should mumble something like 'That didn't hurt.' Or 'I fight on.' and then crumble to the ground in blissful unconsciousness nonetheless. He should not, and that is definite, turn around and simply swing his blade at the offending weapon, cleanly cutting the handle in half.  
  
-  
  
Ukyou, much like Ranma, had obviously underestimated the kendoists hardheadedness. When she got him squarely in the scalp with her weapon, her own full weight adding to the strength of the blow, she fully expected to successfully convince him to take a nap. But he seemed to have other plans for how to spend the afternoon, for he only acknowledged her efforts in as much as he whirled around, facing her with hate-filled eyes and a sword that seemed to almost glow from up this close. For the first time since she knew Tatewaki, Ukyou felt something resembling fear towards him. Up until now he had always been something of a joke to her. A joke with a sword and the skills to use it maybe, but still not someone she'd ever take serious. But that joke had not only shrugged off a winning blow, he had also disarmed her with one fell move and now his sword aimed at her throat. Things like that can impress the toughest girls.  
  
"Woman," the enraged swordsman shouted, "how dare you interrupt heaven's decree executed ?!"  
  
"How I dare?" Ukyou shot back, using the opportunity to hide her sudden nervousness and back away a step or two from the swords pointy end. "Not enough that you try to cut a friend of mine to ribbons, but you still need to ask how I dare?"  
  
"This one was no one's friend but his own!" Kuno replied angrily his sword following each and every one of Ukyou's moves. "He was nothing but a soulless sorcerour in life, stealing and cheating and dragging such a you and my beloved into with him into damnation. His body might be dead now, but still his restless spirit tries to continue his evil works. Yet I, Kuno Tatewaki,, proud descendant of noble samurai blood and heir of the 'true sword' will bar his machinations and send him screaming back to the hells where he belongs to."  
  
"Screaming hells my ass," Ukyou retorted furiously, renewing her grip on what was left of her weapon. "You want Ranma, you've got to get past me first!"  
  
Kuno stared at her in disbelief, but then his sword snapped up, the flat of the blade touching his forehead in salute.  
  
"As you wish," he told her, his anger obviously gone as his voice sounded cold as ice.  
  
-  
  
Kinyou didn't like what he saw. Not just how that guy with the deluxe toothpick had reacted to Ukyou's attack. Sure, it was bad enough, but considering the rumors that circulated around greater Tokyo about the strange characters that lived or at least showed up in Nerima, he wouldn't have been too surprised if Kuno turned into a seven-headed dragon. It wasn't even the way things seemed to go downhill for the okonomiyaki cook from there on, with the Kendoist attacking and driving her into the defensive with obvious ease. What really bothered Kinyou where the afterimages. It was as if he watched an action movie with very tasteless FX. Like there was not just one fighter and one sword, but many of them, all just slightly out of sync. Kinyou wasn't sure what that meant, he still a couple of millennia too young for claiming full knowledge of all the possibilities in the spirit-world. But he was pretty sure that this Kuno- guy wasn't quite himself at the moment. And he would have to do something about it or Ukyou would be in more than just deep shit Only problem for him was that the only way he could think of to stop the sword wielding upperclassman consisted of something he really hated to do. Well, hate might be the wrong word, but it really, really scared him.  
  
-  
  
Ranma did what he could to assist Ukyou in her fight, but just like before Kuno mostly ignored him. Having nothing more to fear from the pigtailed ghost then insults and taunts he concentrated completely on subduing the adversary who could do worse things, and that meant Ukyou. But while the ability to throw oneself fully at one problem at a time is highly useful when it comes to schoolwork, it once again lead to his ignorance of a new face popping up from the bushes. Almost surprising, considering that this newcomer did his best to get noticed.  
  
"Ranma!" he screamed, "over here!"  
  
One of the greatest tactical advantages Ranma held over Kuno was that he never turned a blind eye to his surrounding, especially not in a battle. So he noticed the flailing arms and the urgent shouts, wondering who the guy was and how he knew his name and why the hell he could see him. In that order more or less.  
  
"What'cha want?" he called back during another ineffective try at distracting Kuno. "I'm kinda busy right now in case ya haven't noticed."  
  
"You want a chance to get back at Kuno?" the strange boy shouted in return, removing coat he was wearing and placing it securely on the ground.  
  
"Why," the spectral fighter replied, his hopes flaring briefly, "you know a way I can get back at him?"  
  
The other boy's face seemed to darken a little, but he nodded. "Yeah, I guess that I do."  
  
-  
  
Ukyou knew that she would go down. Kuno seemed to be in rare form today. Whether this came from training or madness she couldn't tell, but then again, did it matter? None of her attacks got through to him, including those that managed to break through his defenses. A solid hit to his arm, no reaction. A kick in the shin had the same effect. Even his balls seemed to be made of steel and Ukyou knew how vulnerable he was in that spot. After all she had tried it once and that time it had worked like a charm. But today he acted like she only fought him with a piece of Styrofoam, and not a steel bar. Ukyou swore in frustration, realizing that for once, Kuno was not just her superior when it came to toughness, but the only reason that she was still up and about was that he obviously wished to take her out without causing lasting damage to her. Maybe she should have been thankful for that fact, but that with her useless offensive, it only added to her irk. But before she could cut loose with a new string of curses to vent her anger, a strange shout echoing across the battlefield stopped her, as well as her opponent, dead in her tracks.  
  
"Breath.. ! I can breath…!" the voice that sounded a lot like Kinyou's exclaimed. "And your clothes! I can feel them! WooHoo!"  
  
The dueling couple turned from their fight to watch a figure summersault across the place, whooping in joy at every new sensation.  
  
"Man, I never realized how much I missed this! Hey ground...!" he called as he came down from a jump, pushing off again instantly in an even higher arc. "Hey wind...! I'm back!!!"  
  
When he touched down he suddenly went rigid, head tilted to the side as if listening to something.  
  
"What...? Oh...! Okay…" he said slowly, almost to low for the two spectators to hear. "Well, should be long enough… Hmm?... Na, don't worry… I'll give it back without a scratch… Wanna bet?"  
  
Then the newcomer stood up straight and flashed his audience the most arrogant smirk either of them had witnessed in over a week.  
  
"Hiya Kuno," he greeted happily, "seems like this gonna end up a fair fight after all!"  
  
-  
  
"What is this?" the addressed descendant of an oh so noble heritage called out in just irritation, "Another one of the dark sorceror's blinded allies trying to keep me from ridding this plane of his evil presence?" Raising his head he continued to scream a challenge to the heavens. "Saotome! I care not how many of your misguided minions you call to this place. They will not save you from my righteous wrath! Bring them on I say, for none can stand up to the might of this samurai and his mighty blade!"  
  
Ukyou's reaction was by far less impressive. She looked by all means more pissed off than anything else. Her hands going white at the knuckles as she held the remains of her spatula tight to her chest.  
  
"Kinyou!" she barked, "have you snapped too? What's gotten into you?"  
  
Neither reaction seemed to impress the boy very much, if anything they seemed to fill him with a strange glee.  
  
"Aw, c'm on U-chan," he piped happily, "You didn't think I wouldn't get bored with just watching, did ya?"  
  
Dropping into a ready-stance that didn't look much like one if you didn't know what to look for, he flashed a broad grin at the irked kendoist that still stood in his challenging pose.  
  
"As for you, Kuno-baka," he taunted with a dangerous glint in his eyes, "I gonna show ya some smiting. All of you…"  
  
-  
  
It was a common suspicion that the inside of Kinyou's head wasn't exactly filled to the brim. People who had made that view of the spirit-talkers intellectual stuffing their own would have been thoroughly surprised if they could have taken an inside look right now. Because the space between his ears was pretty cramped right now, that with that extra soul he had invited in. And they were having a lively discussion going too.  
  
"Hey, so you noticed it too?"  
  
"Well, it's pretty obvious. Ukyou should have crippled or knocked him out at least three times, but then his ki flares and he's back up again. But it's the wrong ki, like from another person."  
  
"So you can see ki?"  
  
"So what? You can see souls."  
  
"Touché. Well, anyway, why does that make you think that he's possessed?"  
  
"Not much, 'xcept you're possessed too and I've got the feeling that if he managed a knockout you'd be alone in here for a couple of minutes. Hey, imagine you did this with a dozen souls, you'd be virtually unbeatable."  
  
"No way!" came an almost panicked reply. "One's bad enough."  
  
There was a short pause before Ranma reacted to that.  
  
"You don't really like doing this stuff, do you?" he asked surprisingly compassionate.  
  
"I can't stand it! It's hard enough getting a quiet minute as it is, I don't need people bugging me from the inside too."  
  
"Then why'd ya do it? Propose this whole possessing-thing?"  
  
"What? You figure I had a chance against this moron on my own?"  
  
"Actually… no."  
  
"There you go… Oi…! Watch out!!"  
  
-  
  
This whole talk had taken place in a matter of seconds but it was obviously too long for Kuno to stand still and wait for his opponents opening move. That was okay with Ranma, after all he usually preferred to wait out the first attack anyway. Dodging the powerful strike that could have cleaved him in half otherwise, he didn't waste time with his usual games and started his counter immediately. Kinyou had told him that his stay would be only temporal, hardly surprising given the boys dislike of 'head-guests'. Not that Ranma planned to prolong his stay needlessly anyway. Back from when Akane had been possessed by that spirit doll he didn't like the whole idea either. Though he would have to admit that he enjoyed the sensations a physical body provided him with. Even if it was strain and stress and the rush of adrenaline like right now. Well, considering this was Ranma, that was probably a boon.  
  
-  
  
Those moves, this grace, Ukyou could only gasp as she watched the grace with which the two combatants executed their deadly dance. She recognized the forms Kinyou used immediately, but couldn't grasp the concept of her friend using advanced styles of the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu as if he had practiced them for years. And he had called her U-Chan. He never had called her that. He should only know that name from her shop sign for all she knew, and it didn't make sense that he used it on her all of a sudden. Actually, the only guy she had ever allowed to call her that had been…  
  
"Ranma...?"  
  
-  
  
They knew that they had fallen for a grave underestimation. That insolent knave that had dared to stand between them and ultimate justice had proven to be far more skilled in the arts than his slight frame had led to expect. It was almost frustrating, the way he evaded every strike while retaliating with powerful attacks all of his own. One after one they fell prey to his strikes. One after one they took the place of their fallen kin. One after one they stood up again, waiting for their next turn. Such was the way of the Kuno warriors, to fight until the last and then ask for more. And united by their holy blade they could continue to do so forever, until even the strongest of foes was finally vanquished. It was only a matter of time. And time they had in abundance.  
  
-  
  
"Man, this could go on for the whole day and he'd still get up again. It's getting boring."  
  
"You've got to get rid of the sword!"  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"The sword! It's their focus. Don't you know the saying: 'A samurai and his sword are one'? I bet if you take it away he'll go down for good."  
  
"The sword you say, hmm? Figures. With Kuno it's always about a sword. Well, nothing left but to try you're theory…"  
  
-  
  
Ranma's foot lashed out from a grouching position, hitting Kuno squarely in the jaw and lifting him from his feet. In the split-second the swordsman needed to 'rearrange' himself, Ranma grabbed his arms and pressed his thumbs hard on the joints and sinews of his hands. Usually that should have resulted in a spastic reaction of that limb, loosening the grip on the sword's handle so it fell to the ground. Only that there was none. The sword remained right were it had been and Kuno jerked his arms free with his new strength, commencing his attacks.  
  
"Your vile tricks will not save you, scoundrel," he shouted in irritation, "Now stand still and take your punishment like a man!"  
  
"Bet'cha'd love if I did," Ranma replied tauntingly, while on the inside he cursed.  
  
-  
  
"Damn, what's he got on his hands? Super-glue?"  
  
"Hey, don't ask me. You're the martial-arts expert in here."  
  
"Well, it looks like he won't let go of that damn thing, so what now?"  
  
"Hey, I told you, you're the expert for stuff like that. What do I know? Can't you grab the blade or something?"  
  
"And then what? You think he'll let go simply because I got his sword in a Ninja-clap? Apart from that, this blade looks way sharp."  
  
"Then, can't you simply destroy it? It's better anyway. Otherwise he'd use it on you again the next chance he gets."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. But ain't this those spirits 'home'? Wouldn't that mean that 'They' would stay with Kuno all the time?"  
  
"How should I know. That's a magic sword. Anything could happen... "  
  
"Anything goes, huh? Suits me just fine…"  
  
-  
  
Ukyou almost jumped out of her skin when yet another newcomer popped out of the woodwork and into the scene. This one was not too unlikely to meet in this place but that didn't have to say that the girl welcomed her sudden appearance.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" the voice of Kodachi, the infamous 'Black Rose of St.Hebeke' rang across the place. "Why is our beautiful park in such disorder?"  
  
Coming closer, she noticed the Okonomiyaki chief as well as the battle raging beyond her.  
  
"Oh, has brother dear found a new enemy to battle against?" the gymnast asked in a surprisingly neutral voice, almost boring compared to her usual haughtiness.  
  
Ukyou's head shot back and forth, trying to watch the battle while still keeping an eye on that newest possible hazard.  
  
"Well yes," she replied cautiously, a little unsure as to what to tell the girl. "That's Kinyou. He's an old friend of mine. Guess your brother didn't like his face."  
  
"Is that so?" Kodachi asked with a hint of interest. After all she liked all things that irked her brother, dear or not. "I don't know, it doesn't look half bad. And he certainly knows how to fight. I wonder if he would be interested in a date?" That last part came out as something akin to a purr and Ukyou turned towards her fully, surprised by the undisguised interest in her voice.  
  
"What about Ranma?" she asked almost shocked. After all, Kodachi had been after the pigtailed martial-artist for as long as she knew her.  
  
"What about him?" Kodachi replied unimpressed, almost sounding incredulous even. "Ranma-sama has left us, and by what I have heard it was on his own behalf. So we do have to find ourselves a new pastime, now don't we? And this… how was his name again?"  
  
"Kinyou…" Ukyou supplied helpfully, dumbstruck by the other girls unexpected explanation.  
  
"Kinyou…" Kodachi repeated, her lips moving as if she was trying to get a taste out of that name. "Well, he appears to be… interesting."  
  
"You don't know the half of it…" Ukyou replied under her breath, wondering about the gymnasts strange theory in general, and if she hadn't maybe an isty bitsy, teeny weeny thing that might somehow, maybe, be resembling something akin to a point.  
  
-  
  
Ranma increased his already considerate speed in which he moved until he resembled a dervish more than anything else, ducking, whirling and hopping around the furious Kendoist like a whirlwind.  
  
"Naa Naa," he taunted in exaggerated cheerfulness, "Ya can't hit me!!"  
  
This and similar stuff he threw at his opponent, complete with raspberries and other funny expressions of disrespect.  
  
Kuno, for his part, didn't feel like laughing of course.  
  
"You creature of filth, you scoundrel, you rook of darkness," he bellowed in angry indignation, "Stand still so I may cleanse you!"  
  
"Slowpoke!" was Ranma's only reply as he weaved away from the barrage that followed those words and hopped onto the head of a massive stone stature, depicting a Buddha picking his teeth. "Come on man, is that all ya got?"  
  
This time Kuno's response contained far fewer words, but it was impressive none the less.  
  
With his chest heaving and his face a mask of rage, his ki flared around him like the corona of a dying sun as he lifted his sword high over his head.  
  
"Die!!" he screamed as the blade descended with unbelievable force and speed towards his hated antagonist.  
  
There was a surprised gasp coming from girls in the background and a cracking noise as the statue was cleanly hacked in two by the murderous force of the attack.  
  
But that was all Kuno managed to achieve with this killing blow, for as he stood there panting, body extended forward and trying to regain his center, he heard Ranma chuckle triumphantly from where he crouched next to the split stature's base.  
  
"Die yourself..!" was what he heard before he saw his enemies foot lash out horizontally and hit the sword right were the guard met the blade. Stuck as it was between the heavy halves of the Buddha, the blade's steel had no means to bulge. So it did the next best thing. It shattered.  
  
-  
  
Wouldn't it have been nice if there had been an explosion following the blade's destruction? Or a beam of light coming down amidst fanfares from suddenly parted clouds to mark the occasion? Or a shattering of the earth with endless cracks in the ground that spouted lava and sulphurous odors?  
  
If a Kuno had planned for this occasion you could bet that there would have been such theatralics. But as a matter of fact, no Kuno had ever considered that this blade, the holy sword of the clan, could ever be dented, much less destroyed.  
  
So sadly, there was only the crystal sound of bursting steel and twin shouts of shock, each coming from another Kuno. The male one, Tatewaki, was looking in utter horror at the jagged remains of what had once been his clan's most prided possession.  
  
The female one, Kodachi, reacted far less predictable, by suddenly slumping to the ground with her hands gripping her head and eyes tightly shut. Ukyou, even though she stood right beside her, only noticed this when the girl started to make those whimpering noises.  
  
Ukyou didn't want to get distracted from the fight, she wanted to stand by in case Kinyou, or Ranma or whatever, needed her help. Not Kodachi! But when it came down to it, she never had it in her heart to ignore the needs of anyone. Even someone she basically disliked, like this crazed gymnast with her cheap tricks and arrogant bearing.  
  
Kneeling down, she lightly touched the sobbing girl's shoulders, ready for any mean surprise that might suddenly pop up for reasons unknown.  
  
"Hey, Kodachi," she asked cautiously, "you're alright?"  
  
The girl in the fetal position hardly acknowledged her, sobbing the same words over and over instead.  
  
"Mommy...? Granny...? Auntie...? Please...? Please...?"  
  
-  
  
Kuno, the male one, stumbled backwards, his shattered sword held in front of him like a ward. And a ward he would have needed indeed because where once stood only his adversary, there were suddenly at least a dozen shadows bearing down on him. Very angry, very intimidating, very female shadows, rolling up their ethereal sleeves and mouthing things that Tatewaki couldn't hear. This was probably a good thing as his own mind was already a chaotic sea of stray thoughts.  
  
'Mother?' 'Sweetheart?' 'Granddaughter?' 'Golden-haired goddess?' 'Shit...!!'  
  
-  
  
While Kuno heard only those things emanating from his own mind, as was his habit anyway, Kinyou, and thus Ranma, could hear the female horde's ranting quite fine.  
  
"Man, do those girls look pissed."  
  
"Well, considering that some of them probably spent the last couple of centuries locked up in that sword, it's not much of a surprise."  
  
"Yeah, but too bad that they can't touch him. I think they've earned some stress relief after all that time."  
  
"Hey, I mean that guy's a moron, but I wasn't him that started the whole thing."  
  
"So what? I bet the guy who started all this is still with him."  
  
"True... hmm... maybe..."  
  
"Maybe what..?"  
  
"Well, it's probably stupid, but if the girls have been in the sword..."  
  
"Huh...? Oh...?! It's worth a shot...!"  
  
-  
  
The combined Kuno saw the angry mob of familiar souls advance on him manicingly, waving mallets and shinai and other, less harmless implements of pain in the air. They tried to back off, waving their hands in placating gestures that didn't seem to impress them at all. Suddenly, when they were almost with their back to the shrine, they felt a tugging sensation on their belt and realized for the first time that the one that had placed them in this predicament, the one that destroyed their sword, stood beside them with a broad grin on his face.  
  
"You don't mind if I borrow this for a second?" the misguided minion of the evil sorceror Saotome asked innocently, matching his dark masters mannerisms perfectly while holding up the beautifully crafted scabbard of the freshly destroyed treasure of clan Kuno.  
  
"What?" the ex-swordman screamed, torn between fear of those ghostly female and anger towards this insolent theft. "Give that back!"  
  
"Let's try some logic here, Kuno-style," the adversary of all that was pure replied in total disregard of that just command. "You want to always protect your loves, whether they like it or not. So if your loves are a sword, what would you be?"  
  
The whole Kuno, almost in complete panic now, lunged forward in a desperate attempt to get back the sheath. But his adversary side-stepped them easily, tripping them even so they fell to the ground disgracefully.  
  
"Right," he heard the apprentice of evil incarnate comment tauntingly, "You'd be the scabbard. The candidate gets three points. Too bad you'd need four…"  
  
With that, the insolent obstacle to heavens justice brought down the sacred artifact and snapped it over his knee like a dry twig.  
  
-  
  
Kuno writhed on the ground in obvious agony, his hands clawing his heads as he screamed incoherently. And one by one, the shadows of past ancestors appeared around him. Translucent forms, resembling men in ancient armor, men in loose hakami, men in uniforms of the imperial army. They looked down at themselves in obvious disbelief, then at one another as they stood around their host's slowly quieting form. Then, as one, they turned towards the angry mob of female specters that had watched the whole ordeal with shark-like grins plastered over their faces.  
  
"Darling..." "Mother..." "Love..." "Auntie..." "...you wouldn't..." they exclaimed towards the waiting women.  
  
"Oh yes, dearest …" came the unambiguous reply, "we would indeed..."  
  
And so the battle was joined, or rather the massacre, as hundreds of years of pent up anger crashed down on the entire line of male Kuno-ancestors. They got beaten and bruised, kicked and bashed, and generally abused in ways that could only be described as harsh. It really wasn't a nice sight, but then again, no one but Kinyou/Ranma noticed anyway. The two living Kunos had passed out by now, overwhelmed by the strain that the artifact's distruction had put them under via their inherited link to its powers.  
  
And Ukyou, lacking the needed gift, only saw two slumped forms on the ground and a grimly looking Kinyou staring at the open space in his front.  
  
Making sure that Kodachi was otherwise alright, she stood up to meet up with him where he stoop by the shrine.  
  
-  
  
At last the battle dissolved, and quiet literally too, as the spirits were finally free, or forced, to face whatever the afterlife had in store for them. They simply disappeared, one by one, until only a single woman remained. She looked regal, wearing a cocktail dress that might have been fashionable about a decade ago and her hair done in a style that befit that period. Naturally neither Kinyou nor Ranma could have told, mind you. But they did notice the sensuous way in which she walked and the seductive smile on her face.  
  
"I do understand what my daughter saw in you," she addressed them in a surprisingly deep voice, "and I've got to say that I commend her choice. You have proven more than worthy today."  
  
"Heh," the spiritual duo replied, scratching their neck nervously, "always glad to be of service."  
  
"That you have been indeed," the spirit that had obviously once been the mother of the latest generation of Kunos attested graciously. Suddenly one of her arms snapped up and she looked in mock surprise at an elegant wristwatch that had appeared out of nowhere. "Oh, is it that late already?" she asked rhetorically. Casting an apologetic smile towards the stunned boys she bid them farewell quite joyfully. "If you would excuse me, I have a reception to attend. " Then she turned, seemingly prepared to join her family in whatever activity they were currently indulging themselves in. But she looked back over her shoulder one last time.  
  
"And please, have an eye on my children while I'm gone, they seem to need it…" she told them casually. With that she blew them a kiss, winking slyly, and was gone.  
  
-  
  
Ukyou approached Kinyou's silent form cautiously. He seemed to be completely distracted by something. What exactly she couldn't tell but with him, that wasn't too unusual. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to snap him out of whatever trance he was in, so she decided to wait and watch for the time being. Kinyou seemed to watch a strange spectacle, sometimes wincing, sometimes amused. Then his attention seemed to wander to something in front of him and he appeared to listen to someone. Suddenly he scratched his head and said something about being of service, looking extremely sheepish. Shortly after that he blushed beet red and with a shake of his head, he snapped out of whatever spell he had been under. Looking around the devastated landscape, he seemed to notice her presence for the first time.  
  
"Hey," he said simply, cocking his head as he smiled at her. "Long time no see, U-chan."  
  
"R... Ran-chan?" Ukyou asked tentatively, hoping feverishly that Kinyou wasn't just playing a trick on her.  
  
"Yupp," he attested with a nod, "the one and only."  
  
Seeing no reason to contradict that claim after all that had happened today, she flew forward to embrace him in a crushing hug.  
  
"Oh my god, Ran-chan!" she cried, squeezing him until his face almost turned blue. "I've missed you so much...!"  
  
"Gee, U-chan," the pressurized boy protested, struggling in her grip, "watch it. I've got to return that body pretty soon, and I bet Kinyou prefers his in mint condition."  
  
That reminder resulted in a decrease of stress on his torso and a hurt look from the girl looking up at him.  
  
"You.,. you can't leave already. There's so much I've got to ask you… so much I never told you…"  
  
"Hey," he interrupted her sternly, "there's still time for talking later on. Kinyou knows where to find me. But there's stuff I've got to do while I still got the chance…"  
  
Ukyou stared a up into Kinyou's green eyes only to find Ranma staring back at her, pleading for understanding with his gaze.  
  
"Akane…?" she asked wearily, her shoulders slumping in defeat.  
  
"Yeah...," her captive agreed weakly, biting his lips.  
  
Slowly she let go of him until the only grip she had on the possessed boy were her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"It's okay…," she assured him, even managing something like a smile. "I understand. Can't say I always did, but I think that now I do."  
  
She got rewarded for that admission with a relieved looking, but otherwise brilliant, smile.  
  
"Thanks U-chan, you're the best!" she heard him say and much to her surprise, he placed a peck on her cheek. Then he turned and hurried into the shrine.  
  
"Anytime…" the stunned girl whispered, a hand cupping the spot were his lips had touched her.  
  
-  
  
The shrine was a traditional Japanese structure, its walls made of wooden frames covered with sheets of thick paper. During the heat of battle, this light structure had taken excessive damage and right now, there was an almost 360 degrees panorama view from the inside. Sure, if you leaned with your back against the altar with no control over your lower body, you had that view cut in half, but still enough of the drama unfolding outside was visible to the slowly recovering Akane. The first things that cut through the fog in her mind had been Kuno's curses and promises of pain towards whoever he was fighting. Someone he called a vile sorceror and knave. Someone he called Saotome! It didn't need much more to perk her interest and bring her back towards full consciousness. Too bad that her body was slower to recover, or else she would have been out and participating in the fight in a matter of seconds. But seeing that her limbs wouldn't budge, Akane had no other choice than to follow the event on the outside through sounds and the ever increasing amount of holes in the walls. The first fight had sounded more like a crazed kata, a single fighter , whom she knew to be Kuno, hacking up the landscape. Then someone had joined him in the fight. A woman she recognized a Ukyou. A woman that seemed to be in trouble almost as soon as she joined in. That was unusual in as far as Akane knew Ukyou to be at least a decent match for the overenthusiastic kendoist. But who knew, maybe he had learned a new trick? After all, slow on the uptake as he might be, Kuno had surprised them once or twice with a novel technique. But slowly it dawned on her that the only new thing about him appeared to be an almost unbelievable resilience towards pain. Still, being impossible to bring down proved to be as beneficial as the greatest advancements in swordplay from a practical standpoint.  
  
But just when it appeared that Ukyou would go down someone had interrupted them. Akane had never before heard the voice that challenged Kuno in an unmistakable way. She had never before seen that boy she saw through the holes in the wall. And still her breath caught in her throat for she instantly recognized him for who he was. Ranma! He had come for her! Just like he always did. Back when he was still with her, she had always known, deep down, that no matter what the odds or the obstacles, he would come for her. And now it appeared that even death couldn't hold him back. She wanted to shout, to laugh, cry, cheer him on. But just as her muscles failed her, so did her voice. All that she could do was watch. And hope. And wait.  
  
-  
  
Slowly, Ranma pushed open the door of the shrine, what was left of them anyway. Looking inside, he saw Akane's limp body leaned against the altar. He was a little scared when he neared her, fearing that she might have suffered from an overdose of the narcotic Kuno had treated her with. But as he kneeled down before her, he noticed with relieve that she was awake, looking at him with wide eyes.  
  
"Ranma...?" she asked carefully, as if unused to her vocal chords. Having a lot of experience with those 'scented' flowers Kuno had used, he knew that condition all too well.  
  
"Gee, ain't I easy to figure out?" he joked a little nervously. "And here I thought I could fool you."  
  
"How...?" Akane asked, slowly regaining full control over her voice. "You're dead…"  
  
"Kinyou's 'Body-for-hire'" he explained with a smirk. "Rent one and you get a cap for free." He pointed at the baseball cap still gracing his head, though facing the wrong way.  
  
"So, you're not really coming back…?" she asked with a teary voice, her facial expression one of desperation.  
  
"Hey," he replied, reaching out to cup her cheek, "I've never been gone."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Akane, please..." he shushed her, the urgency in his voice silencing her more than his words did. "I ain't got much time. Kinyou can explain the details to you later on. But there's one thing I want to do myself, as long as I still can…"  
  
Akane looked at him in confusion at first, but soon it turned to disbelieve. The way he looked at her, pleading and a little unsure of his proceedings. The way his face drew nearer and nearer, his head tilting slightly, his lips trembling. He wouldn't, would he? But he did. Softly, gently, he pressed his lips on hers, and for a short moment she wanted to scream, shout, hit him and call him a pervert. But the shock wore off immediately and when it did, she leaned into the kiss to the best of her current abilities, hungrily, greedily, willing to make it last forever.  
  
But of course it didn't. There came the point when he drew back, though unwillingly, that much she could tell.  
  
Looking at her through eyes still half lidded, Ranma smiled at her ruefully.  
  
"And, did it work?" he asked cryptically, sounding strangely expectant. "Do you know now?"  
  
Then, to Akane's surprise and great shock, his eyes crossed and he keeled over backwards, a crazed smile on his lips.  
  
-  
  
The Kuno's large estate was by no means a public area, but today it seemed almost as lively as any given park at a Saturday afternoon. Take for example those two forms hiding under a low bench near the shrine. They had no deal in this place and would be chased from the grounds on first sight, but still they seemed pretty comfortable with watching the show from their shadowy hideout.  
  
"That couldn't have gone better if I had planned the whole thing," one commented.  
  
"May oui, c'est le fortune of those working hard!"  
  
"Says the laziest cat alive," the first one commented sarcastically. "Anyway, he's tasted blood. Now he's going to start searching for a way."  
  
"Blood?" the other one asked confused. "But le boy ne pas killed anyone, did 'e?"  
  
"Pépé?" the first one growled in reply, "shut up. Or better yet, get lost and take a bath, for you really stink. Oh, and that's an order!"  
  
The only answer she got was an indignated huff coming from her companion.  
  
Smirking in triumph, the old one returned to watching the proceedings.  
  
-  
  
'Wow, wow, wow..' that thought repeated through Kinyou's slowly recovering mind over and over again. '...so that's what it feels like...'  
  
He had never before enjoyed to share his body with a spirit, mostly because they were constantly using him to get back at someone, or reclaiming something, or other stuff a ghost had to fulfill before he deemed himself ready to go on, and then he, Kinyou, had to life with the grudges of those that had only seen HIS face doing the deed. But first this indescribable roller coaster-ride of a fight, the satisfaction of freeing those ghosts and to top it all off, THAT KISS. Oh yes, that kiss had earned the right to be written in capital letters. Kinyou had kissed once or twice in his life and this one had everything you could hope for. Not in matters of tongues and technique, mind you. But as far as fireworks were concerned, WOAAA BABY!!! So he lay there on his back, dreamily staring at the ceiling, sporting a gin that would have made the Cheshire cat envious, and he hoped that one day, one glorious day, he would find a girl that made him feel like that too. But just for the books, he wouldn't mind to lend his body to Ranma again, in case he planned to repeat that experience. No, for the first time, Kinyou wouldn't mind a little possession at all.  
  
---  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: I need more tags! I don't wanna be stuck with just Supernatural/Romance. I want Action too, and Humor and *****(NC-17) and everything else too. Yes Sir! But apart from that, I'm pretty contend with the progress -(Hey, many thanks to Kirsten, my walking dictionary. She not only helped me with that word, but many others as well... Applause!!!)- of this story. I'm not only managing the '1 chapter a week' margin I've set up for myself, I even like the way the whole thing is progressing. What more can I ask for? Well, getting paid to do this for example. But I guess you can't have everything. Anyway, I hope you had some fun reading this, for if you did, there's more were it came from. Much, much more... BwaHaHaHaHa..!!!  
  
See ya,  
  
R.Martin  
  
PS: Aww, c'm'on lija, ya only wrote that so I would mention ya too. Ooops, seems like it worked too.. ;-} 


	7. Shout!

I thought love was only true in fairy tales  
  
Meant for someone else but not for me  
  
Love was out to get to me  
  
That's the way it seems  
  
Disappointment haunted all my dreams  
  
And then I saw her face  
  
Now I'm a believer  
  
Not a trace of doubt in my mind  
  
I'm in love  
  
I'm a believer I couldn't leave her if I tried  
  
I thought love was more or less a given thing  
  
But the more I gave the less I got,  
  
What's the use in trying  
  
All you get is pain  
  
When I wanted sunshine I got rain  
  
And then I saw her face  
  
Now I'm a believer  
  
Not a trace of doubt in my mind  
  
I'm in love  
  
I'm a believer I couldn't leave her if I tried  
  
(Excerpt from: Smash Mouth – Believer)  
  
---------  
  
Soul Heir  
  
---------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are courtesy of Rumiko Takahashi. Except those who aren't. I plundered them from someone else, but I'm not going to tell you who.  
  
-  
  
Chapter 7. : Shout!  
  
-  
  
Ranma Saotome was a lot of things. Ex-heir to the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu, ex- fiancé to three different girls minimum. He was an ex-bargain-chip, ex- martial-artist and ex-god-slayer as well as an ex-delinquent, ex-bane-of- existence and ex-honorable customer. But what he noticed most of all at the moment was that he was ex-alive. One moment his heart was beating wildly, drumming in his ears like an army on the march, and his breathing came ragged and hard, pumping the air into his aching lungs while feeding a fire that burned in his veins. The next moment? Nothing. Standing there, as a ghostly form in a damaged shrine on the Kuno-estate, emotions were nothing but memories. Ranma looked down at his former fiancée Akane and wished with all his might that he could touch her again. She was still leaning with her back to the altar, wide eyed and panting from the kiss and his sudden 'departure', and his heart, or the memory of it, went out to her. How could he have been such an idiot? There he had raked his brain for ideas and solution of how to handle his troubled life and all it would have taken was the guts to kiss this stupid tomboy that somehow meant so darn much to him. Figures that he found that out only when it was already too late. Why didn't she tell him that she wanted to do something like this before he cut down to the core of everyone's problem? Or rather, let everyone else cut down the problem instead. Why didn't she tell him that she had needs like that too? Probably for the same reasons that had always kept him back from giving in to the urge of simply grabbing her and dragging her to a quiet place were he would earn the title of 'pervert' for real. He couldn't do that anymore. Oh sure, he could ask Kinyou to give him a couple of minutes in the living world, but Ranma would rather die before he'd use that boy's body on Akane in the way that he really wanted to. Oh yes, he had wanted to do some pretty carnal stuff with his allegedly 'uncute' fiancée, he could admit that now. Still he had always lacked the required balls to do something about it. Only not as literally as he did now. But there was one advantage of not having any hormones to mess up the cerebral facilities. He could now recall all those feelings that had confused him and examine them from a mostly neutral standpoint like a scientist might have. And yes, for all it was worth, he loved this girl. And yes, if anyone, it would have been her he would have married, had kids with and all the other stuff that goes along with it. But no, it didn't really matter anymore what he would have, for now he simply lacked the means to do so. He wasn't even sure if he did Akane such a great favor by still hanging around. Maybe he should complete the original job and hit the road for real. But he didn't really think he could do that. The problem was not just that he had promised to wait for her. He would break that promise if he was sure that it would be a good thing to do so. But it would mean that he wouldn't just leave her for a day, or a week, or a month. He would never see her again, Ranma was sure of that. An eternity without that uncute macho-chick with her quick temper and her bloody mallet and her sunny smile? No way in hell! He'd rather sit by for the rest of her life and watch her spend it with someone else. Preferably someone who was a little nicer to her than Ranma himself had been. That way he could at least welcome her when the time came, maybe show her the ropes and stuff.  
  
'Yes, I'll only watch, nothing more,' he decided as he looked down at Akane's slightly shaking form, the proverbial ghost of a smile returning to his face. 'So you better make it worth my time, tomboy.'  
  
-  
  
Ukyou was sitting outside the shrine on a patch of grass that had somehow survived Tatewakis experiments at redecorating the landscape pretty much unharmed. She didn't know what exactly was going on inside the wooden structure but she had enough of an idea and not the least bit of interest to confirm her suspicion. So she simply sat there, watching over the still unconscious Kunos when a strange sound from the inside perked her inside. At first she couldn't figure out what would cause that muted, bubbling squeak. But when she decided to get up and have a look, only to make sure everything was okay, mind you, Ukyou was surprised to find its source in the slumped girl by the altar. Stepping unceremonially over Kinyou's body, he was obviously out of it and enjoying every minute, she kneeled down next to her former rival. Former rival. That was a strange enough thought for Ukyou. But it was true, wasn't it? They had nothing left to compete over, even Ranma's death notwithstanding. Sure, officially that competition had ended in a draw, but for Ukyou it was Akane who had won the first prize. And now she would never be able to claim it.  
  
"Akane?" Ukyou asked the slightly shaking source of the strange sobbing sound, gently grabbing her by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"  
  
Admittedly, that question belonged among the Top 10 of most unnecessary questions ever, for even a complete social imbecile, like a frequently mentioned insensitive jerk for example, would have noticed by now that she wasn't. Couldn't be, after all that had happened lately. But it was as good a start as anything else and Akane didn't seem to mind the question anyway. Or notice it, for that matter. She simply continued to sob with her head bowed and apparently oblivious to her surroundings.  
  
"Hey sugar, talk to me," Ukyou tried again, her hands moving up to cup the grieving girls cheeks and force her to look up at her. "I know it's tough, but you've got to…"  
  
Ukyou never came to explain what exactly Akane 'had to', for the sight of the other girls face cut her short mid-sentence. True, there were tears, as expected. But the thin-lipped grin from beneath those almost manic eyes was quite a surprise. And that sound, it hadn't been sobbing at all. It was something closer to a giggle. Rather scary, considering the circumstances. So Ukyou might be forgiven that she stared at the other girl in shock.  
  
"Akane?" she breathed weakly, insecure of how to handle this unexpected situation. "What happened?"  
  
"I'm…, I'm... an idiot…" the other girl replied during fits of pained mirth. "I... I thought he… he left! I... really thought that he… that he just… left me behind! " Her head slipped away from Ukyous grasp, falling back to lean against the altar again and her mood seemed to calm a little though she still appeared more than a little crazed to Ukyou. Though who could blame her for that?  
  
"All that we've been through…" Akane continued in wry disbelief, one still too weak hand trying futilely to reach up and wipe away some tears, "…and I still haven't got enough faith in him…"  
  
"Faith?" Ukyou asked confused, maybe even a bit irritated by the unreality of that statement. "He died Akane. What else could you have thought, stupid?"  
  
"No, no, no…" Akane disagreed quite vehemently, shaking her head like a drunk and even managing to waggle a finger on her half-raised hand, "…I was supposed to known! We've faced magic and gods and ghosts together and I still thought he died just to get rid of me…"  
  
Ukyou stared at the girl in front of her slack-jawed and wide-eyed. But slowly her expression changed to one of understanding, even compassion.  
  
"But now you know better than that?" she asked softly, fully confident in her ability to predict the answer.  
  
"Oh yes…!" Akane replied almost giddily, her head tilting to the side, allowing her gaze to wander across the ceiling. "Now I know sooo much better!"  
  
---  
  
"Faith?" Ranma muttered under his nonexistent breath, torn between feeling moved and irritated by Akane's strange behavior. "Yeah right. Like you wouldn't still bludgeon me if I as much as looked at another girl. It's not all that it's cracked up to be anyway, that faith stuff. I mean, I never could trust you in the kitchen or with a fight… Well, okay, so sometimes you surprised me… But the point is,... the point is… I kinda like you anyway, even if you're just a jealous volatile klutz."  
  
"Somehow I doubt that's what she's been talking about…" a voice commented quietly somewhere by his feet. It belonged to Kinyou, who was just getting back up from his latest nap.  
  
"Pfft…" Ranma huffed exaggeratedly, "lemme guess, you're not only some kind of witch-doctor, you can read minds too, right?"  
  
The other boy didn't answer him directly, nodding towards the girls instead while holding a finger to his lips. Then he simply sneaked to the open door, turning his head to look at the pigtailed ghost apprehensively once he was almost there. Ranma understood the hint and followed him outside where he got the first opportunity to access the damage Kuno had inflicted to the grounds during their fight.  
  
"Nice…" was his simple observation as he looked around at the cut-down trees, interestingly trimmed bushes, freshly plowed lawn and disemboweled statues. "Maybe a little unkempt, but interesting."  
  
"Gee," Kinyou remarked cynically, "and here I thought a bomb had struck."  
  
"Naaw," Ranma's spectral form replied with a grin, "if there'd been bombs you'd notice it from the soot-stains 'round the craters. Got a lot of experience with those."  
  
"Had an interesting life, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed with a smirk, "that was one of my curses."  
  
-  
  
The half-dead couple sat down were Kodachi still lay unconscious, so that Kinyou could look after her while they talked. It wasn't as if they had forgotten that Tatewaki was still knocked out a few feet away. But since he should be physically fine once you discount the splitting headache he should awake to, they didn't care too much about his comfort. Easily understandable, considering the context of his forced nap. Kodachi on the other hand had been innocent, this time at least. So they agreed that showing a little care for her was acceptable.  
  
"Well, I don't want to get your hopes up," Kinyou stated while frowning down at the sleeping girl's form, "but concerning that 'interesting life' of yours, I'm not so sure if it's over."  
  
"What'cha mean by that?" Ranma asked confused, glancing at his new acquaintance in surprise. "Of course my life's over. Gone. Adios. Bye-bye."  
  
"Yeah, I know that," Kinyou replied, waving off the ghost's elaborations with his hand. "But you see, on some topics the afterlife is a pretty bureaucratic institution. As long as you haven't checked in at the reception up there, they sure won't remove the 'living'-tag from your file. That's probably why people always compare death with taxes…" he added with a grin. Ranma didn't get the pun though, but maybe he simply had never heard of that particular saying.  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" he demanded to know. "If some eternal bookkeeper is to stupid to note the obvious then it ain't my fault. I for one am pretty convinced that I'm a goner. Here, wanna try?" With that he offered his spectral arm to the other boy for inspection.  
  
"That's not the point," Kinyou countered calmly, holding up his hands in an placatory manner. "All I'm saying is that there's a fair chance that your 'life', or unlife or whatever, isn't officially over. So chances are that it might stay just as interesting as before. I mean, take a look around you. This place looks like World War III dropped by for a sneak-preview! You destroyed a magical sword," he furthered his explanations, starting to count on his fingers "freed a couple of ghosts, kicked the butt of others including this idiot over there, said hello to an old friend and finally…" Now Kinyou looked up and grinned Ranma broadly in the face. "… you had a little tête à tête with that other girl. And don't tell me that this didn't top things off, 'cause I've been in there too and man, it rocked!"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed, deflating considerably but brightening up a little too, with a rueful grin starting to invade his features. "It really did, didn't it?"  
  
---  
  
Hidden under a bench close by, another pair obviously decided that the best part of the show was over.  
  
"Ah, l'amour!" one of them sighed with a strangely exaggerated sounding accent. "Is it not beautiful? Does it not make votre coeur pulse cis petite bit faster? Ah, to feel like cis, c'est que la live est all about…"  
  
"Scratch the romanticism," the other one commanded, a grouchy sounding female whose patience was obviously running thin. "We're not here to watch soap operas. We're here for a mission."  
  
"Ah oui! Le grand plan!" the first one chirped up without any obvious decrease in enthusiasm. "We can not forget le plan! Eh… Une moment… What is le plan?"  
  
"Gee, the world will end on the day I don't have to spell even the smallest things out for you," the annoyed female huffed in exasperation. "Listen, we wait until that boy is ripe for the picking. Then we make him an offer he can't refuse, he'll accept, everyone ends up happy. Now is that simple enough for you or do I have to get into the details?"  
  
"No, no, no,…" the scolded accent-talker placated hastily. "I knew cet! Mais, qu'est le plan now? We seulement wait ou we do quelquechose now ? "  
  
The female looked at him strangely, scrutinizing her expectantly looking partner like he was something the cat dragged in.  
  
"Say, is it just me or is your accent getting worse?"  
  
"I practice every day!" the object of her observation replied with no small pride.  
  
"Figures…" she remarked dryly, shaking her head. "Well, you can continue that while you go fetch the doctor. Tell him to meet me by that little restaurant halfway to the dojo from here. You think you can do that?"  
  
"Of course I can!" came the indignant reply. "Ah... actually… which bistro do you mean? There's that French place by the channel, the coffee-shop by the park, that tea-house-style Burger joint,…"  
  
"The one that always dumps the leftovers in the sewers," the female interrupted him quickly, lest he would list every source of food for miles around.  
  
"Oh, that one! I love that one!" he attested excitedly, almost drooling as many happy memories of long digested treats passed by his mind's eye.  
  
"That explains the smell," his companion remarked acidly, having learned long ago that staying upwind from him was an absolute necessity for her wellfare. "But before you indulge yourself with the garbage, go and fetch the doctor. After that you're free to… dine."  
  
"I hurry, I run...!" the smelly shadow promised, his excitement growing by the minute as he began to lick his chops in anticipation. Bursting out from under the bench, he did just that, a black and white shadow bolting from cover to cover and out of sight in the blink of an eye.  
  
---  
  
Ranma and Kinyou had a lively, if somewhat quiet, conversation going on when the doors of the shrine opened up to reveal a disheveled Akane, still needing a little support from Ukyou but otherwise obviously recovering. And by the glint in her eye that recovery covered more than just the effects of Kuno's knock-out gas.  
  
"Hey, look who's there…" Kinyou stated to the empty air. Or so it appeared to the two girls.  
  
"Hi Kinyou," Ukyou greeted back halfheartedly, her attention mostly on Akane. By the look on her face she seemed a little alert as well as confused, as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of the youngest Tendo's current condition.  
  
Akane, for her part, seemed more at ease than she had for the last week.  
  
"So you are Kinyou?" she inquired amiably. "Sorry that I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Tendo Akane, of the Tendo-school of Musabetsu Kakutou. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Same here," Kinyou replied with a smile, rising from his sitting position to greet her properly with a bow. "And the full name's Juusan Kinyou, from the Juusan-family in Kansai."  
  
"Oh, you come from Kansai?" Akane wondered as she looked from him to the girl that supported her. "So that's were you met Ukyou?"  
  
"Yeah," said girl interrupted with a shrug, "we went to the same school."  
  
"Lot of strange folks there," Kinyou added with a grin. "I take it you already met Tsubasa?"  
  
"That boy with the disguise fetish?" Akane replied, her eyebrows rising. "Looks like a girl if he's not impersonating traffic-signs?"  
  
"Yep," Kinyou affirmed, his grin now almost by his ears. "That's him. He's actually pretty nice if he's not fixated on one of his 'conquests'." As he said that, he involuntarily cast a sideward glance at Ukyou. "Anyway, he's a prime example of what you get if you lock up a couple of boys in one room for 8 hours a day. Only that it never seemed to affect that Kuonji-guy. The teachers always thought 'him' to be the sanest of the whole bunch. I'd have loved to see their face if they learned the truth…"  
  
"The truth about what?" Ukyou asked, the hint of a challenge in her voice. "My gender or my sanity?"  
  
-  
  
The conversation continued for a couple of minutes until Ukyou declared that she was going to take Akane home. The girl protested that she was fine and could make it on her own just fine but the young chef was adamant about her duties as a nurse. Kinyou declared that he'd do the same with Kodachi. That earned him warning glares from the two girls and verbal reminders of what would happen to him if he tried anything that could be labeled 'perverted'. Kodachi might not be amongst their dearest friends, but the possibility of her serving as a target for a little more than the necessary amount of 'tender care' by another hormone-driven boy in her helpless state made them feel surprisingly protective of their crazed ex-rival. Of course Kinyou pointed out the purely Samaritan nature of his suggestion and of course the girls gave him another rant as of why boys couldn't be trusted. But finally they left it at that and prepared to head back for the dojo. Ukyou turned to her friend one last time though, a little unsure as of to how the question she was about to ask.  
  
"About Ranma…," she asked uneasily, her question resulting in Akane snapping to attention as well, "…is he, you know, …coming too?"  
  
Kinyou looked up at her and then to a point to her left, where a translucent former martial-artist stood, watching over the girl Ukyou supported and looking a little upset at his own inability to answer for himself.  
  
"Don't worry," he answered in the ghost's stead, "he's right behind you."  
  
---  
  
It was a good thing that Dr. Tofu had his clinic shut for renovations, otherwise he would have never made it to the restaurant on such short notice. On the other hand, given the strong odor the messenger emitted, the clinic would have probably been out of patients as fast as if Kasumi had come bye on one of her visits. The good doctor had a lot of weak and elderly folks among his regulars, many whom had a hard time of even reaching his clinic. Yet, when it came to such emergencies, they sometimes showed a temporary recovery of their handicaps that bordered on the miraculous. Right at the moment, he had no doubts about his patients quick departure, as he himself would have loved to stay as far away from the black and white cat that lead the way as possible. Why the old matriarch had to send this particular cat was something Dr Tofu couldn't fathom. Maybe it was pure malice, or maybe she herself had simply lost her sense of smell after associating with the strange tomcat for too long. Whatever the reason, the doctor was all to happy when the cat stopped and looked back at him, indicating a small, bistro-like restaurant a couple of feet down the road.  
  
"So, she's in there?" he asked the cat, earning a couple of amused stares from other pedestrians.  
  
The cat simply nodded, looking a little impatient the way it stood there and wagged its tail.  
  
"Well then," the good doctor stated, straightening out his slightly rumpled gi, "I'm curious what the old girl wants this time."  
  
With that, he entered the restaurants shady interior.  
  
-  
  
Ranma walked silently down the street. Of course, he could have screamed and danced and sung explicit songs and no-one would have noticed. Actually, that was one of the reasons why he was so quiet. All of his life he had drawn one kind of attention or another, no matter if he liked it or not. So Ranma had gotten used to the spotlight and now that the novelty of having a little quiet had worn off, the lack of notice started to bug him. Sure, the little interlude with Kuno had been fun and given him a chance for a spectacular appearance, but on the other hand it made him feel the lack of interaction so much more, now that it was over.  
  
So he walked, lost in his thoughts, behind the quietly discussing forms of his oldest friend and his… well, lacking a better term for it, … his Akane.  
  
Now that was a combination of words that he once thought he wouldn't be found dead using. Not that he never knew that he had a thing for a certain tomboy. After what happened back on their latest trip to China, it would have been hard to overlook, even for such an intellect as his. But he had never considered her belonging to anyone. That was one of the things he liked about her, the fact that she was fiercely independent. No one had the right to label her as their property, not her family, and especially not some mostly ingrate fiancé like him. But there you go. After that kiss she had given him, he knew of no other name to call her but 'his Akane'. Funny, considering that HE seemed to be the one who belonged to HER, hanging around like some lovesick puppy even after his demise.  
  
That thought surprised him, and scared him a little too, but not as much as it might once have. He had no chance to think about the exact reasons for those feelings though, for a sound that would once have scared him shitless interrupted his contemplative mood.  
  
"Meoww?"  
  
Looking for the source of the interruption, he saw a black cat with a white stripe running down her spine stare directly back at him.  
  
"Meoww?" the cat repeated, quiet obviously aware of his presence as she got up and walked over from her resting place by a restaurants wall.  
  
"Gee, what's that?" Ranma asked the dark feline, a little cautious more thanks to old memories than actual discomfort. "Don't tell me you can see me too?"  
  
Actually, considering the outlook most people in Japan had on cats, that didn't surprise him to much. All over the world those animals were branded with beneficial traits as well as malicious ones, and the isles of Nippon were no exception. A lot of people believed that there were cats, or creatures that could at least turn into the shape of cats, that had the ability to interact with the dead. Something like that was usually considered a dangerous and potentially evil power, solely belonging into the hands of specially trained priests, not that Ranma would have minded at the moment if the animal in front of him possessed it. This belief once led almost to a witch-hunt against the living mousetraps. But one brilliant individual who's name was long forgotten, though probably he hailed from Clan Kuno, figured out that those dark powers resided in the cat's tail und so, if you cut it off, those animals were harmless again. Thus the huge amount of tail-less cats in Japan.  
  
The one currently in front of Ranma didn't belong to that number, for it still possessed a tail, a very bushy one at that.  
  
"Well, obviously you do…" the ghost stated as the cat strolled once around his legs, looking directly up at him all the time. Meowing again, she suddenly bolted toward the restaurants door where she stopped and looked back at him again.  
  
"Huh, what's with you?" Ranma asked curiously, unsure as of what that strange procedure was supposed to represent. "You want me to follow or something?"  
  
He didn't expect an answer to that, so he was completely unprepared for the cat's eager nod.  
  
-  
  
"You're sure about that?" Ukyou asked in concern as Akane insisted to walk the rest of the way home without assistance.  
  
"Of course I am!" the girl in question insisted vehemently. Turning towards her companion, she flashed her a brilliant smile. "It takes more than a little knockout to keep me down. Look!" With that she suddenly leaped onto a railing that separated the road from the sidewalk and continued to walk along it with even steps.  
  
"Don't worry so much Ukyou," she chided from her raised position. "I'm feeling fantastic!"  
  
"That's what troubles me," the young chief on the ground muttered, keeping a watchful eye on the playful girl.  
  
"I mean, you've been dea... indifferent to the world for the longest time and now you're suddenly so... so euphoric. This is scary!"  
  
Akane stopped her leisurely walk along the railing to look down in contemplation at her troubled companion, the smile never leaving her face.  
  
"You know, it scares me too," she admitted seriously. "But not too much. Not as long as Ranma's still with me. That's the only thing that really matters to me at the moment."  
  
"But..., but he's dead!" Ukyou injected incredulously, shock plainly written all over her face. "You can't just ignore that!"  
  
For that outburst Akane graced her with an almost pitying look, waving it off with a gesture of her hand.  
  
"Details!" she said dismissively with the full power of her beliefs fuelling her words. "As long as I know that this idiot hasn't left me behind I can deal with anything! You heard that Ranma?!" Those words she called challengingly to the empty air around them. "I want you, dead or alive! Because I love you, you stupid, moronic, perverted son-of-a- panda...!" With that out of her system she deflated visibly, casting an apologetic grin at the shell-shocked girl by her feet.  
  
"Sorry," she said in a much calmer voice, "but I needed this."  
  
-  
  
"Huh?" Ranma asked no-one in particular as he stepped into the shady interior of the restaurant the strange cat had beckoned him into. "Hey, that's Doc Tofu! But who's that with him?"  
  
Stepping closer to the good doctor's table, he saw a frail, old woman in the traditional kimono sitting next to him.  
  
"What the...!" he exclaimed as recognition hit him like a derailing freight- train. "But that's the ladle-lady! What's she doing in this place, with the doc no less?!"  
  
"Actually," said the old women with the knack for throwing water at the exactly wrong moments, "my name is Ichikagawa Nomura. Though most of my associates simply call me the 'old one' behind my back."  
  
Laughing into Ranma's shocked face, she gestured at an empty chair by the table. "We've been expecting you, young Ranma. I hope you can spare us some time, I promise it will be worth your time."  
  
The doctor seemed as confused by her little speech as Ranma obviously was.  
  
"He's here?" he asked, finding the idea of a ghost right next to him, even one he knew personally, pretty discomforting."  
  
"You can see me?" Ranma asked simultaneously, pretty stunned by the old gnat's revelations. "Gee, I always knew you had to be psychic to always hit me like that...!"  
  
"Yes," the old woman simply replied, answering both questions in one go. "And I would prefer if the both of you wouldn't speak all at once."  
  
"Oh..., sorry," Ranma apologized while the poor doctor looked at her queerly before nervously scanning the space around him.  
  
"Where is he," he finally managed to ask in a nervous voice.  
  
"Right in front of you," Mrs. Ichikagawa stated amiably, pointing at the seat opposite him.  
  
"Oh..., okay," Dr. Tofu acknowledged with a nod towards the indicated direction. "Hello Ranma, good to... err... know that you're... coping... with this ... situation."  
  
"Well, you know me doctor," Ranma replied with a wry grin. "Always prepared to make the best of it."  
  
"That's good to hear," the old woman injected, "because that's exactly why I've insinuated this little meeting. To make the best of the situation."  
  
"Huh? Whatcha mean by that?" Ranma asked, his curiosity perking while the good doctor could only watch in confusion as he was short of one half of the conversation.  
  
"What I mean is that I know of a way to bring you back to live," the old one replied without even blinking. "That is, if you're interested…"  
  
---  
  
Authors notes: Was it Sokrates who said: 'Always end the chapters with a cliffhanger.'? Somehow I doubt it was him, but it's a good idea anyway. It helps keep people interested, and it's thoroughly sadistic too. It's almost as bad as those announcements concerning the next chapter some authors are fond of. Like: 'Next chapter we will learn about the catch to that surprising offer and the true nature of Mrs. Ichikagawa aka 'The Ladle- Lady'. Plus, will Ranma make it in time to save Akane's from a potentially fatal decision?' Now that would be rude, to keep people guessing while throwing them clues like that. So obviously, I love it!  
  
Anyway, thanks for reading this far,  
  
R.Martin 


	8. Swapping tales

Her mind is Tiffany twisted  
  
She's got the Mercedes bends  
  
She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys  
  
That she calls friends  
  
How they dance in the courtyard  
  
Sweet summer sweat  
  
Some dance to remember  
  
Some dance to forget  
  
So I called up the Captain  
  
Please bring me my wine  
  
He said  
  
We haven't had that spirit here since 1969  
  
And still those voices are calling from far away  
  
Wake you up in the middle of the night  
  
Just to hear them say  
  
Welcome to the Hotel California  
  
Such a lovely Place  
  
Such a lovely face  
  
They're livin' it up at the Hotel California  
  
What a nice surprise  
  
Bring your alibies  
  
(Excerpt from: Eagles – Hotel California)  
  
  
  
----------  
  
1 SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
2 CHAPTER 8: Swapping tales…  
  
In a sizeable private park, situated in a part of Tokyo that was renowned for its strange occurrences and mysterious sightings, a young man, barely past the age of adolescence, lay motionless in the soft grass. All around him were the signs of an epic struggle, or so he would have described the fight that took place in this spot not long ago. Broken statures, a crippled shrine, toppled trees and a cratered lawn all spoke of a burst of destructive energy that would make most people think rather of a military assault than a duel of two teenagers. But that was more or less exactly what had happened, and the young man slumped on the lawn was in no way the victor of this encounter. And this one fact he understood completely, now that he had slowly recovered his consciousness. Lying there with the remains of his greatest treasure dead-center in his field of vision, Kuno Tatewaki realized that all his dreams had come to naught. He would never be a samurai like his famous ancestors, cutting through the demons and hordes of evil that threatened his ancestral lands. He would never experience the love of the fierce Akane Tendo nor conquer the heart of his fiery pigtailed goddess, granting them happiness for all eternity. Those dreams had been nothing but lies. There was no one that liked or respected him, much less someone longing for that kind of attentions. Most probably there wasn't even anyone caring if he was alive or dead. So where was the point in getting up, even now that he could move again? Where was the point in returning to the mansion with its false traditions and brooding atmosphere were the only person that would acknowledge as much as his existence was his sorry excuse of a sister? And to think that it was the only place were he was, if not welcome, so at least admitted. Really, there was no reason to get up. No reason at all.  
  
-  
  
"Bring me back to live?!" Ranma exclaimed with obvious difficulties to grasp that concept. Judging by his wide-eyed expression and the volume of his voice. Usually this would have turned quite a few faces since it is considered impolite to raise one's voice in public, no less in a restaurant. And that was exactly where the pigtailed boy had expressed his disbelief. But then again, only one person noticed his outburst, and that was the old woman he had directed it at. Such were the effects of his current ghostly state.  
  
"No way I gonna let anyone turn me into some zombie or something...!" he continued indignated.  
  
"Boy, boy, boy," the Mrs. Ichikagawa chided good-naturedly. "How should I manage to do something like that? Last time I checked, you needed a corpse to create one of those and yours, I fear, is ashes."  
  
"Oh, right, never thought of that…" Ranma admitted sheepishly, managing somehow to scratch the back of his head. "But whatcha gonna do then?"  
  
"Now THAT," the old woman said with a wink and a waggling finger, "is a secret. All I'm going to tell you is that I can provide you with a living, breathing body. Nothing rotten, no detachable parts. I'm talking about the real thing…"  
  
Now, nobody had ever accused the former heir of the Saotome-school of an exaggerated tendency to learn from former mistakes, but his many dealings with the most shrewd of the Tendo girls had taught him a lesson or two anyway.  
  
"Where's the catch?" he therefore asked, fully understanding that the best things in live, or death in his case, are far from free.  
  
The old woman nodded, seemingly pleased by the question.  
  
"So you do have a brain," she praised him. "After some of the stories I've heard about you I almost doubted you'd be fit for the job, no matter what your other virtues. But I'm deviating from the topic. Because there is, as you stated so expertly, a catch." The old woman fell silent for a few seconds, carefully examining the ghost's expression before continuing her explanation. "You see, if you a going to accept my offer, it will not be a present. You've got to think of it as some kind of advance-payment for services still to render."  
  
"What kind of services?" Ranma asked, once more surprisingly reasonable considering his usually rather simplicistic brain-patterns. Who knows, maybe his death had done him some good. Or maybe testosterone really does hinder the brain. Or he might simply have come to understand the seriousness nature of this conversation. Whatever the reason, the pigtailed ghost was currently very cautious of what he said or agreed to. Mrs. Ichikagawa, as she had stated previously, didn't mind a little vigilance in a prospective associate, and so she answered the question in an amiable voice.  
  
"This is hard to explain to you without giving away things that are not meant for the ears of the uninitiated. So if you want the whole story, you've got to accept my offer first. But I can guarantee you one thing. We will never expect anything from you that goes against your nature."  
  
"Against my nature? What's that supposed to mean?" Ranma asked curiously. He knew that term's common implication of course, but something in the way that old gal empathized those words startled him.  
  
"It means that once you join our ranks, we might ask you to do something dangerous, or strenuous or scary. We'll most probably commit you to tasks that seem impossible to fulfill and have you fight against unfair odds. But no one will ever ask anything of you that is opposed to your sense of honor. "  
  
"Says you," Ranma commented warily, her little speech reminding him all to much of his fathers frequently broken promises. "Though I guess you aint got any guarantees handy, do you?"  
  
"Guarantees?" Mrs. Ichikagawa asked in obvious amusement. "Sorry, but no guarantees. But I've got the next best thing…" With that she turned towards Doctor Tofu, who had followed the conversation to the best of his abilities. This meant he only heard the old woman's talking and had to think up Ranma's part. The effect was pretty much like listening in to someone talking to a phone. And like anyone else who ever did something like this, he too perked up with a guilty expression on his face once his name got mentioned.  
  
"Doctor Tofu?" he heard Mrs. Ichikagawa address him, "I guess now's the time to explain to out honored guest why you've accompanied me to this place…"  
  
-  
  
Carrying the still motionless Kodachi in his arms, Kinyou stumbled into the main hall of the Kuno estate. He was greeted by a couple of wide-eyed servants who, much to his surprise, didn't as much as question him about the dubious state the daughter of the house happened to be in, never mind his own presence. They simply scuttled out of his way as he went in search of a secure place to put down his load, staring at him from worried eyes as he passed and asked for a couch or a bed or anything else suitable for a resting place. Nobody answered him, the lot of them too scared or too stunned from what had happened in the park. Or at least that was what he figured. But one servant, a middle-aged woman with a weary expression and nervous eyes, opened a door to his left and motioned him to enter. Glad for a reaction of any kind and without a better idea he followed her lead and ended up in some kind of huge living room, richly ornamented with paintings, tapestries and potted plants. There was an open fireplace on one wall, an empty sword-stand resting forlornly on the mantelpiece. On the adjacent wall there was a gigantic TV-set, that thing alone costing probably more than Kinyou could hope to earn in the next ten years. All in all that room held riches that the ghost-talking boy couldn't hope to mach in his whole life. And this was just one room of who knew how many. But honestly, right at this moment this could have been Ali Baba's cave for all Kinyou cared, as long as it contained one damned couch. And thank whatever friendly kami responsible for this, it did. Letting out a relieved sigh, he placed the unresponsive girl down on the plush sofa, making sure she was comfortable. Now that she was taken care of, he slumped down in a comfy chair himself, allowing the tension of the past hours to drain out of him. Feeling his sour muscles relaxing, Kinyou used the opportunity to get a first good look at the girl in his care. She was a knockout, that much could be said without further investigations. A curvaceous and still athletic body, a symmetric face with a small, pouting mouth, a straight, small nose and large eyes, though what color they were he wouldn't learn until she woke up. Her lustrous hair was pulled to one side and for a moment he wondered what it would look like if he set it free from the pony- tail. Not that he'd ever dare something like that but still, that thought stuck with him. Those musings got interrupted though when the girl on the couch suddenly moaned and raised a hand to her forehead.  
  
"What... hit me?" she asked weakly, clearly not up to a 100% yet.  
  
Kinyou got out of his seat and kneeled next to her, looking down at her face with concern.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked her, noticing that she had very dark eyes and still not regained the ability to fully focus them yet.  
  
"Head… hurts…" she answered hesitatingly, obviously feeling every single word like a kick to the skull.  
  
"Yeah, guess it does," Kinyou agreed compassionately. After that little icident with the sword, he figured that was probably an understatement. "You better stay put for a while. You know, take a nap, relax a little…"  
  
Kodachi acknowledged that proposal with a slight nod, only to regret it at once.  
  
"Aspirin...?" she whimpered quietly, her hand reaching blindly for a nearby table.  
  
"Oh, right, good idea…" Kinyou agreed and rose to hunt after the requested medication. A few moments later he returned to the room victoriously, a glass of water and some pills in his hand. Settling down by her side again he helped her sit up to swallow them.  
  
"Try taking two first," he advised her, "and if it doesn't get any better…"  
  
Kodachi never got to hear what she should do in that case because he was a little startled to see her snatch all the pills at once and gulp them down in one go. Then she leaned her head again the backrest of the couch, looking at him from half lidded eyes.  
  
"What happened out there?" she asked after some silence on both of their parts. Everyone who knew her would have been thoroughly surprised by the calmness of her voice, even in her currently weakened state. But as Kindyou had only recently met her, that fact escaped him totally.  
  
"Well, it seems that your brother tried to ban the spirit of this Saotome- guy by means of some old sword that belongs to your family," he explained cautiously, knowing full well that most people would call him nuts for relating a story like that. She didn't seem inclined to doubt his words though, listening intently as he continued his tale. "Well, to summon that ghost he abducted a girl, Akane… Tango?"  
  
"Tendo," Kodachi supplied helpfully sounding a little uncomfortable saying that name.  
  
"Right, Akane Tendo, that's her," Kinyou agreed happily. "Well, me and Ukyou…, you know Ukyou, don't you? She's running that Okonomiyaki- restaurant a few blocks from here."  
  
"Yes," the still aching girl admitted halfheartedly, "I do know that wen… woman."  
  
"Figures, I mean, she really acted as if the two of you had a common history…"Kinyou remarked with a raised eyebrow. But he had no intention to investigate further into it, preferring to continue his story. "Anyway, so me and Ukyou stumbled across him as he was running like a madman with that girl in his arms and followed him to that shrine in your garden. And ,well, Ukyou couldn't just sit and watch as he tried to ban Ranma and so she got involved. And then I couldn't watch as he tried to turn Ukyou into Shish- Kebab, so I joined in too. Well, it wasn't me alone. You see, I'm not much of a fighter but I've got a little talent as a medium and Ranma, he seemed pretty eager to join in so we kinda… banded together and kicked a little butt. Oh wow, did we kick butt...!" Kinyou trailed off at that point with a dreamy look and a grin on his face.  
  
"What about mom?" Kodachi suddenly interrupted his reverie in a small voice, sounding almost scared.  
  
"Oh boy, how to say this," Kinyou mused, looking a little forlorn as he pondered that problem. "You mother, did she have long hair and was about this tall?" He raised a hand to indicate a height of approximately 5 feet 7. "Likes evening-dresses and parties? Looks like, like," searching for a suitable comparison his eyes involuntarily scanned the room and ended up on a huge painting that depicted a regal looking man of medium age and the woman that had spoken to him as a ghost in the park, standing behind two young children, one a boy, the other a girl. They looked like everyone else on a group-picture, a little stiff and with forced smiles.  
  
"… like that woman in the picture over there…" he finished rather lamely, nodding at the portrait.  
  
Kodachi never looked at the indicated painting, knowing the picture by heart. Hardly surprising, after all it was her own family depicted on it.  
  
"Yes, that is my mother, Nanami Kuno," Kodachi attested in a subdued voice. "She left us four years ago."  
  
Kinyou smiled at her compassionately, feeling with the miserable girl on the couch.  
  
"That's not entirely true," he corrected her softly. "She's been stuck in a stupid sword, just like a lot of your other relatives. Well, the female ones at least. The guys were in the scabbard."  
  
"But, but... how is this possible?" Kodachi asked close to tears. Now that the ache in her head slowly subsided, there was nothing to divert her from the other pains. "How can a simple sword imprison a soul...?"  
  
"Ah, you see," Kinyou explained, scratching the back of his head in a sheepish manner, "it's not as impossible as it might sound. Ghosts usually hang around things that were important to them when they were alive. Sometimes that's a place, sometimes that's people and sometimes it might even been an object they treasured."  
  
"But that doesn't make sense," Kodachi interrupted in confusion. "Mom never cared about swords. And you said for yourself that she was imprisoned."  
  
"True," Kinyou agreed thoughtfully, "but you see, someone among your ancestors did. Someone, probably a couple, possessed the sword as well as that scabbard. I bet that there's some tragic love-story behind all of this, but whatever the reason, stuff like that tends to snowball. So when the next Kuno inherits the sword and voilà, he's suddenly getting some really romantic notions. You know, like he needs a true love that he can cherish for all eternity? And then he marries some girl and say, if she dies before him, then WHAM!" He almost gave Kodachi a heart-attack as he provided the sound effects by clapping his hands. "She's stuck in that sword too. Because he 'loves' her so damn much and never wants to let her go. And then he dies too and there's another heir and another… you know what I'm getting at, right?"  
  
Kodachi nodded in the affirmative, her eyes big as saucers.  
  
"So, all these women, my mom, Aunt Tanakae, Grandmother Suyiko, they all stayed behind because their husbands loved them?" she asked insecurely, hoping for some bright aspect in Kinyou's dark theory. He would have loved to indulge her, but instead he looked at her doubtingly, slightly shaking his head.  
  
"Just like your brother loves that Tendo girl," he told her with a sad frown. "That's why they call it possession, you know? It's not always one spirit taking over a living body. Sometimes it's more like… conditioning."  
  
"I see," Kodachi said without sounding too convincing. Suddenly she looked up at him, some of her usual fire returning to her eyes. "But that's over now, isn't it? That sword, it is broken. Mom's free of the spell, and so should be Tatewaki and… and me?"  
  
"You..?" Kinyou asked, delighted by her more lively manners but surprised by the question nonetheless. "Well, I figured something like that sword should mostly affect guys but hey, why not?" He shrugged, smiling at the relaxing girl on the couch as he did so. "Sure, you're free now too."  
  
-  
  
Doctor Tofu cleared his throat, seemingly uneasy with the thought of talking to an invisible, inaudible acquaintance and former patient. But then again, if he gave a convincing performance then that might soon change, right? So he took a deep breath and started to recount his story.  
  
"You see Ranma, when I took over the clinic a couple of years ago, I soon realized that this district was a little different from the other places I lived in., my predecessor had tried to explain that to me beforehand, but I was young and thought I knew everything. Anyway, I hardly listened to his stories. I guess it wouldn't have mattered if I did, for there are some things in life that you simply have to see for yourself. It's a little like Jusenkyou curses. No one in their right mind would believe that they exist, right? You could talk for years and people would still need to see the change for themselves to believe it. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at. So there I was, the new doctor in town awaiting my first patients. They were a little reserved at first. Nothing unusual considering they had been used to Dr. Toriyama for years. But slowly they accepted me and soon I had a pretty good reputation. That was when the 'special cases' started to show up. Have you ever noticed how Nerima seems to attract the most interesting characters? You weren't the first or the worst one. Not by far…" Tofu smiled ruefully at the empty spot across the table, idly playing with a cup of tea in his hands.  
  
"They were what Dr. Toriyama had tried to prepare me for. People with special 'conditions', not unlike yours. Some of them were hardly discernible from normal folks, but some of the others,… well, let's say they prefer the late hours for their physicals. Anyway, in case you wonder why I tell you all this…" he turned towards the old woman by his side, giving her a small nod, "Mrs. Ichikagawa here, she's one of them. One of the 'special patients'. I bet you can't tell by the way she looks right now. As long as she's dressed in that kimono anyway. But you wouldn't have to be a doctor to notice that there's something different about her during an examination. Something that people with superstitious tendencies might take quite badly. Well, I was a little nervous too at first, considering what our legends have to say about people like her. But she's actually a very nice woman once your get to know her." He cast a look at the old gal he talked about so casually, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a smirk. "As long as you don't cross her, that is," he inserted matter-of-factly before continuing with the story.  
  
"I know it's stupid to beat around the bush like that, but I can't tell you right know what makes this woman different from other people. Except maybe for the fact that it convinced me that, should I ever need to communicate with spirits, she was definitely someone to turn to. And, you see, about five months ago, exactly that situation came to pass…"  
  
The good doctor trailed off with that, frowning miserably into his by now cold tea. It almost looked like his recount might end there, for whatever was there for him to relate, it was something that troubled him deeply. It was obvious that Mrs. Ichikagawa wanted that story to be told, but she didn't urge him on. She simply patted his hand instead, looking on compassionately while the doctor sorted out his emotions. That fact alone bought her probably more of Ranma's respect than any story the doctor told could have.  
  
"I'm sure you remember my mother," Tofu suddenly continued without ever raising his head but his voice surprisingly composed. "You met her last year, when she came to visit me. Remember how she had this thing about finding a good wife for me? It was always a little annoying, the way she came up with one potential wife after another. I guess, looking back, she probably suspected that she would pass away soon and simply wanted to see her only son taken care of. But I was still a bachelor when she passed away." Dr. Tofu sighed heavily, looking back up at were he supposed Ranma's face should be. "I don't have to tell YOU that unfinished business is not a good thing for someone that just died. Mom was no different. Shortly after the funeral strange things started to happen at the clinic. Books fell from the boards, scissors suddenly moved around, glasses were spilled or shattered. Even Betty, my skeleton started to move by herself. It was the complete poltergeist program. Mostly whenever an unmarried woman was present. It got so bad that I had to close the clinic for a while. I was simply unable to continue my work under those conditions. Logically, I knew who was responsible for the occurrences, but as mom never reacted to my prayers and I had no means to stop her short of an actual marriage, I became pretty desperate. That was when I suddenly remembered Mrs. Ichikagawa's gift. I contacted her and asked if there was something, anything, she could do about it. And she said yes. No conditions, no price- tag. She simply stated that it was the duty of her people to take care that the homes were safe, whatever that means. Now, I didn't want her to actually exorcise my mom, or something like that. You can't just throw your own mother out of the house, even if she's a ghost. But Mrs. Ichikagawa never tried anything like that. She simply talked to her. She promised mother on her own honor that she would look after me to make sure that I found a good wife soon. She also explained to her that I had this little problem when it came to… woman I liked… and that she would help me to overcome it, to secure our families continuation. I still not completely sure how, but Mrs. Ichikagawa convinced my mother to give up on the interference and continue her afterlife. So from then on the haunting stopped, and two weeks ago, I was able to reopen the clinic. And not just that, but I believe that I'm ready to ask K... asumi," at that point the doctor gulped, but still showed remarkable control considering his usual antics when it came to that particular name, "… out on a date." It seemed like the doctor was amused by his own childish nervousness when it came to the eldest Tendo-daughter, judging by the wry smile on his lips.  
  
"Though I guess this will have to wait for a little while longer. I'm sure that she's too concerned with her family at the moment to even consider an invitation like that. Now, this is, for once, your fault." Though that last part sounded like an accusation, the smile never left his face. Instead it simply turned a little sad, speaking more of concern than anything else.  
  
"Well Ranma," he finally concluded, "I guess the point of my whole story is, I put my trust in Mrs. Ichikagawa, and she hasn't disappointed me yet. And for what it's worth, mother seems to trust her too. So even if it seems a lot to ask for, especially as she's not willing to go into any details, I still believe that you can trust her too."  
  
-  
  
It was in front of the gate that lead to the Tendo-residence, that the ways of Akane and her companion finally parted. The Kuonji girl insisted to accompany her inside at first, expressing the wish to make sure that she would be cared for. But then some of the old temper flared up and Akane claimed to be a martial-artist and similar stuff. This resulted in a relenting Ukyou, who seemed rather pleased with the heated reaction. So they simply said their good-byes and the young chief headed for home while the Tendo-girl entered hers. Once inside, Akane suddenly seemed to deflate, leaning her back against the smooth wood of the gate as she sighed heavily.  
  
"Wow," she remarked to no one in particular, "I thought she'd never leave."  
  
But then her face brightened up again and she pushed off, walking towards the house.  
  
"What do you think," she asked the empty air around her, "should I take a bath first?"  
  
There was no answer coming forth, but then again, she probably expected none either. Instead she nodded happily, as if a decision had been made.  
  
"Of course we'll have dinner first. And then a bath. I'll have to look presentable, now don't I?"  
  
Again there was no reply, but she grinned as if something droll had been said.  
  
"Uncute yourself," Akane quipped before shaking her head in an amused manner.  
  
"The things I do for an ignorant fool like you…" she added in an exasperated tone of voice. "It's simply GOT to be love."  
  
-  
  
Ranma was confused, to put it mildly. He had left the restaurant shortly after the good doctor had finished his tale, claiming to need some time to think about Mrs. Ichikagawa's offer. He had to admit that he had been tempted to simply accept it. After all, the way she had explained it to him, that would not only provide him with a living body again, he would also be free to spend his time with whoever he wanted between 'jobs'. And those 'jobs' didn't sound that bad either. Securing the homesteads, she had called it. According to the old woman, some of her associates took care of the small 'vermin', and some, the 'hunters' like he would become one if he willed in to her, took care of the big ones. By the sound of it this 'big vermin' consisted of everything from lost souls to the occasional demon. Nothing too unusual or scary considering the way Ranma's old life had gone. But past experiences were exactly what kept the pigtailed ghost from accepting the offer blindly. How many times had he rushed his decisions only to find himself in an even greater mess than he had been in before? Too many to keep count of. And there was still the question if he wanted to return to life at all. There was simply no way that he could simply pop up from out of the woodwork and act as if nothing had happened, no matter how that obligation towards Mrs. Ichikagawa he would be under developed. What about his family, especially his mom? How would they react? What about his friends? Admittedly, most of them were hard to startle by anything he did, but rising from the dead would definitely stretch the limits. And what about the Tendos? Mr. Tendo would probably snap completely, Nabiki would try to make a fortune out of it while Kasumi... Well, she probably would have to say a little more than simply 'Oh my!'. And Akane? That was the crux. Did she want him to come back? He was sure that she didn't mind him hanging around as long as he had no means of getting on her nerves, but coming back for good? After that kiss they shared this afternoon in the shrine, this sounded deceptively like he intended to 'unite the schools'. He wasn't sure if that was fine with her. Hell, he wasn't sure if that was fine with himself. Not entirely sure at least. Maybe it was simply a major case of cold feet, but he still had his problems understanding what exactly had happened between him and that tomboy on the Kuno estate. Must have been Kinyou's body. Ranma's old one had been conditioned to ignore most outside distraction, while the spirit-boy's body had reacted to Akane's closeness… well… naturally. All it took was for Ranma to relent his control for a moment, and voilá, he had kissed the supposedly most uncute girl outside of professional sumo-wrestling. While this all sounded nice and good, and to tell the truth, the actual experience had been even greater, Ranma had his qualms with this sort of spontaneity. As a martial-artist, his pride rode on his body-control. Easy for a ghost who had no physical parts, harder if he came back from the grave and continued where he left off. Especially if he continued where he left off this afternoon. There was no doubt about it, if Akane actually welcomed him back like that, he could kiss all thoughts of control bye-bye for the remainder of the day. If he made an effort. Otherwise it might take a while longer.  
  
With thoughts like that occupying his attention, he walked aimlessly through the streets of Nerima, only to end up in front of the Tendo- residence out of pure habit. Small surprise there. Stepping through the gates in a very literal way, his head snapped up as he noticed his surrounding. He was back at home. Funny how that place had grown on him. The people that lived here too. They were as much his family as his parents. Involuntarily his eyes searched for a certain window on the top- floor where he almost expected the face of a certain tomboy to appear.  
  
'My family?' he mused, somewhat astonished but also strangely comforted by that thought. 'Yeah, I guess they are.'  
  
His gaze wandered along the houses walls over towards the training-hall were he noticed some lights coming out from under the doors.  
  
'So you're practicing again?' he figured, his thoughts still on his former fiancée. 'Well, let's see if you've gotten any better.'  
  
With that he walked over to the dojo, to critique Akane's performance and generally keep an eye on her. He never noticed that, for a trainings- session, there were very little sounds coming from the building. The reason for this became apparent as he stepped inside, and it made Ranma's blood freeze. No small feat for an incorporeal entity. There, in the center of the dojo, kneeled Akane. She wore a pretty yellow dress and her hair was freshly done. And she smiled that special little smile of hers. None of this would have scared the ghost, if it wasn't for that knife in her hands. And those words she spoke almost giddily.  
  
"Watch out Ranma, here I come…"  
  
Author's notes: Can you spell Bastard? If you can't, then practice until next week, because that's how long it's going to take me to continue this. Well, for those of you who don't suffer from dyslexia, here's a little spoiler for the next chapter. 'Lord Spectre' proposed that it would be fun for Ranma to visit those entities waiting for him up in heaven's reception- area. I agree, though I think that it would be even more fun if came looking for him instead. So Ranma might just be getting one or two additional 'job-offers'. From such illustrious guys like Ares for example. The big question is, will they have to accept Akane as his sidekick? Or will our favorite tomboy prove less skilled with a blade than we thought? Ah, decisions, decisions…  
  
Until next week,  
  
R.Martin  
  
PS: Hey Lija, of course I do need cliffhangers! (quod erat demonstrandum) How else can I express my sadistic tendencies? Legally and cheap, anyway? 


	9. Cut to the core

There's no time for us,  
  
There's no place for us,  
  
What is this thing that builds our dreams, yet slips away from us.  
  
Who wants to live forever,  
  
Who wants to live forever ... ?  
  
There's no chance for us,  
  
It's all decided for us,  
  
This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us.  
  
Who wants to live forever,  
  
Who dares to love forever,  
  
When love must die.  
  
But touch my tears with your lips,  
  
Touch my world with your fingertips,  
  
And we can have forever,  
  
And we can love forever,  
  
Forever is our today,  
  
Who wants to live forever,  
  
Who wants to live forever,  
  
Forever is our today,  
  
Who waits forever anyway?  
  
(Queen - Who wants to life forever)  
  
----------  
  
SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 9 : Cut to the core  
  
-  
  
It had been just dinner-time when Akane came home and all heads gathered around the table turned at her hearty call of `Tadeima!'. This wasn't because the greeting in itself was unusual, it was in fact as traditional as you could ask for. It was more that the one giving it seemed in a good mood, almost giddy actually. Considering that the returning girl had been the very picture of depressed introversion ever since her fiancé's death, her family's surprise wasn't, excuse the repetition, surprising at all. The first one to recover from the shock was Kasumi, running on automatic during meals helps in situation like that.  
  
"Hello Akane, did you have a nice walk?" she asked amiably while dishing out the rice.  
  
"Oh yes," Akane exclaimed as she settled down in her habitual spot, "you wouldn't believe how good actually."  
  
"Why don't you try us," Nabiki put in, her head popping up from past Ryoga's broad frame to cast a scrutinizing glance at her baby sister.  
  
"Uhm yes," Ryoga added, looking a bit concerned, "you have been away quite a while. Did something happen?"  
  
Facing so much attention, that with Kasumi and her father looking on in interest too, Akane bit her lips and grinned in a conspirative way.  
  
"Aww not much," she quipped, reaching for her rice bowl and handing it to her oldest sister, "just ran into Kuno. He's been worse than ever! I sure hope the forced nap he took does him good." With that she nodded her thanks to Kasumi and began topping the rice with the various dishes.  
  
"That's it?" Nabiki asked incredulously, "just a little Kuno bashing and all's right with the world again? Come on, pull another one."  
  
Ryoga nodded his agreement to her doubts, he too had a hard time believing that this should be all it took to raise Akane's mood again.  
  
"Nah, ey mad Ugiu... " the girl in question replied. Swallowing the food in her mouth, she apologized for her rude manners. "Sorry `bout that. But hey, Kasumi, the fish is great! Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, I met Ukyou and a friend of hers. Some guy called Kinyou she knows from way back when she still lived in Kansai. We had a chat, well mostly me an Ukyou talked, and then she accompanied me home."  
  
"That's very nice of her. But why didn't you invite her in?" Kasumi inquired, always the perfect host.  
  
"Oops, didn't think about that," Akane lied through her teeth. The reason for this was that she had no plans for her family to learn just yet what exactly had happened at the Kuno-estate. And Ukyou might have spilled the truth way too soon. And she might have mentioned Akane's little declaration on the fence. There was no telling how her folks might react to this.  
  
"So you did a little girl-talking, did you?" Nabiki posed curiously, still far from being appeased by the story and not wanting the conversation to deviate into small-talk. "What about? Must have been quite the topic, that with it taking up half of the day."  
  
"What about? Ranma of course," Akane stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We never had that many common subjects, now did we?"  
  
There was a shocked silence settling over the table, only periodically interrupted by Akane's hearty munching.  
  
Ryoga simply stared at her, his mouth working futilely to get out some fitting remark for this. Nabiki for her part was dumbstruck for once while Kasumi simply looked on in concern. Only Soun Tendo, usually more the type to supply special effects that would make `Waterworld' appear like a desert-epos, seemed strangely calm, a sympathetic expression showing on his face as he watched his youngest daughter spin her tale.  
  
"Oh, come on people," Akane stated exasperatedly. "It's not that I don't appreciate all the support I've got from you guys. Because I do, honestly, and I love you all the more for it. But there are some things that I only feel comfortable talking about with Ukyou. Or probably Shampoo, once she's around again. You know, fiancée-business." Looking around, she smiled apologetically at her uneasy companions. "I'm sure you can relate to that," she placated them, before nonchalantly returning to her meal.  
  
-  
  
The conversation never fully recovered from those little revelations. Still, some safe topics were found to discuss during dinner, things like movies, school and general gossip. The original topic though, the one with the pigtail, was carefully avoided. Mostly because there seemed to be a consensus that dinner was not the place for meaningful reflections and that Akane could be taken aside later that evening. For the same reason, nobody commented on the uncharacteristic speed with which said girl gulped down her food, even though her mannerisms almost screamed for being compared to her late fiancé's. And when Akane ended her meal and declared that she was going to take a bath, nobody rose to question or stop her. Why should they? It wasn't like she was going out of this world. Let her have her bath and after that, once she would be feeling relaxed and clean, there would be time for a little sisterly-talking.  
  
-  
  
Once safely inside the bathroom, Akane smiled ruefully at her mirror-image.  
  
"Hey Ranma," she addressed the empty room around her, "I suppose you wouldn't use this opportunity to peep on me in the bath, now would you? I mean, it's funny. How am I to know if you ain't watching me right now? But you know what...?" She lowered her head until her eyes were hidden from sight behind her black mop of hair, but a shy smile and a little blush were clearly visible. "I'm not entirely sure if I'd mind if you did..."  
  
Still blushing furiously because of some of the less proper thoughts running through her mind, Akane began to shed her clothes, almost making a show out of it. Then she soaped and rinsed herself off, taking her sweet time as she did so. Done with the prerequisites, she continued on into the furo, lying back contently in the relaxingly warm water.  
  
"Ah," she exhaled remorsefully, "I'm really going to miss this. I take it that there won't be any furos in the afterworld, right? No, I guess not." She playfully ran her hands through the waters, producing small waves that swapped against her chest. "No more baths, no more ice-cream, no more sunshine that tickles your skin," she listed casually. "So many things I'd be giving up, and for what? To be stuck for eternity with some jerk that probably won't even appreciate it. Make's you wonder who's the real idiot here..." Akane let that statement hang in the air, content with staring at the opposite wall in contemplation for a while.  
  
"Not that it really matters," she finally concluded, nodding sagely at her own deduction. "None of this matters when it comes down to it. I'm going to come for you, baka. And once I get to you..." She never finished that sentence, but an excited smile spread over her face and she giggled softly as she imagined the reunion.  
  
-  
  
Akane didn't leave the bathroom through the door, suspecting quite correctly that one of her sisters might lie in wait for the moment she showed her face. So the girl used the window instead, the hem of the dress she had changed into flying high as she jumped to the ground. Keeping close to the wall, she snuck over to the backdoor that lead into the kitchen. Once sure that nobody was near, Akane rushed in and liberated one of the big, sharp knives that were usually used for cutting large lumps of meat into manageable portions. With her loot safe in hand, she left again, as silent and quick as she had come. Moments later she stood in the dojo, the doors pulled shut behind her back and a relieved look on her face.  
  
"Phew," she huffed, "so much for the easy part..."  
  
-  
  
Upstairs in his room, Soun Tendo sat in front of a half-drained bottle of sake while puffing one cigarette after another.  
  
"What am I supposed to do," he asked with a heavy heart. "It's obvious what our little girl's up to. And I guess I should stop her but then again, I was feeling the same way when..., when..." his voice faltered, the memory of his wife's death still way too painful, even after all those years.  
  
"Look at me," he demanded morosely. "You said that the girls needed me, that they shouldn't loose both their parents. But what kind of father have I become? Can I give the support they need? Do you think I pose a good model for them? Somehow I doubt it." He gulped down another glass of the strong liquor, refilling it almost ritually once he was done.  
  
"Akane has no one to take care of," Soun reasoned, returning to the original subject. "So why shouldn't I let her follow her heart? And you know, it's not as if she ain't doing exactly what we asked of her for all this time. In her own way, she's finally uniting the schools..." Obviously, he found that thought amusing, judging by the weak chuckle he produced. But he sobered up quickly again, if not from his inebriated state then from his sick mirth at least.  
  
"But she's my little girl," he suddenly sniffed, his eyes close to tears again. "How could I let my little girl get hurt? How can I just sit here while she might be ending her young life this very minute? What kind of monster am I?" Sound had spoken with a voice ever increasing in volume until he almost screamed the last part. His fist punched the floor, rattling the little shrine he kneeled in front of. The glass of sake he had put as an offering in front of his late wife's photo suddenly tilted and fell, spilling its contents right in front of the distressed father. It might have been a coincidence, it might have been a sign, but as the fluid hit the ground, it formed a recognizable pattern. A character, to be precise, with a well defined meaning.  
  
`Fumetsu' it read, `indestructible'.  
  
And Soun Tendo, heartbroken husband and father torn between duty for his family and compassion for his daughter's pains, looked up with wide eyes at his wife's smiling picture and somehow found within himself a strength long thought lost.  
  
"Thank you," he simply said, his voice expressing his gratitude far more efficiently than his words did. And without further ado, he rose to look after his youngest daughter.  
  
-  
  
Back in the dojo, Akane had seated herself in the center of the room, facing east, the direction of the rising sun. There was no serious reason behind this, she simply figured that she had earned the right for a little symbolism, considering what she was up to. Looking down at the knife in front of her, she smiled.  
  
"Seems like I'm going to give the `Juliet' for real," she whispered wistfully. "And that after Kuno kinda spoiled my taste for Shakespeare. Ah well, we wouldn't let him spoil our fun, now would we? Naaah..."  
  
Grabbing the knife's handle with her right hand, she brought the sharp blade up and rested it casually on her left wrist.  
  
"What do you think," she asked the empty room. "Slitting my wrists? But that would leave such a mess. I doubt Kasumi would like that." With that thought in mind she changed her grip to a two-handed hold of the handle, the blade pointing straight at her belly.  
  
"So it's going to be the classical `Z'-cut I guess," she stated casually. "Well, I'm no expert, but as far as I know, most of the bleeding is internal that way. Now if that ain't forward thinking."  
  
Shaking her head at her own antics, Akane straightened her posture and prepared to plunge the blade into her own abdomen. Remembering the reason for her impending endeavor, her features relaxed, showing a strange expression for a suicidal-candidate. A sunny, almost eager smile.  
  
"Watch out Ranma," she exclaimed in a manner that could be called giddy, "here I come..."  
  
-  
  
Now as it usually happens in situations like that, this was the moment when Ranma showed up. Still a great deal bewildered from the palaver in the restaurant and the implied possibilities for his own future, he had a little trouble figuring out what the hell was happening here. But once he did, he acted at once and purely on instinct. But then again, wasn't that always when he was at his best?  
  
-  
  
The feeling. It was indescribable. Well, maybe it was describable, but anyone trying to do so would be hard pressed. Possibly he would talk of a rushing flood, crashing through a riverbed, invading every nook, every cranny, with unstoppable force. Or he would try to induce the image of an icy wind rushing right through a badly insulated building, rattling at the curtains and pushing open the doors. Only that the building was a certain tomboy's body and the wind was her late fiancé. The shock of this sensation almost made Akane drop the blade that she had planned to disembowel herself with. But the emphasis was on `almost'. For as her head reared up and she gasped, it kept on hovering right in front of her, like an overexcited hummingbird courting a delicious flower.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here...?" she suddenly shouted, her voice sounding strangely off. Panting, she stared up at the ceiling with unseeing eyes.  
  
"R... Ranma...?" she stammered confusedly a second later, only to break out in excited shouting all of a sudden. "Ranma, it's really you!" Her enthusiasm was strong enough to make her almost gut herself as she involuntarily tried to press her hands to her chest. But something inside her resisted, blocking the movement completely.  
  
"Hey, watch what you're doing," her own distorted voice was heard again. "You could hurt yourself with that thing."  
  
"Ooops, sorry," Akane apologized to herself. Then her features contorted in confusion.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute," she exclaimed exasperatedly, "I was planning to hurt myself!"  
  
"But why?" came her immediate reply, "Why'd you do something stupid like that?"  
  
"Stupid? STUPID!?" she countered hotly while her face exercised lightning fast changes of expressions. "Like you're the one to complain. You killed yourself first! Now what do you expect me to do? Sit around and wait until I die of old age? Not bloody likely!"  
  
"Damn it Akane," her voice cried out in frustration. " Why do you always have to blow things out of proportion? It's not like I'm out of the world or nothing!"  
  
"It's not like you're exactly in it either!" came Akane's sharp reply. "By the way, what am I supposed to do with a ghost for a fiancé? Engage this Kinyou-guy as a body-double?"  
  
"Of course not!" she answered her own question hotly, only to cave in at once. "So it was the kiss, wasn't it?" the girl asked morosely. "That's why you're acting like that..."  
  
An ominous silence settled over the room, only sparsely interrupted by a light sniffing sound.  
  
"Idiot," the kneeling girl suddenly said in a quiet, affectionate voice, "I wanted to kill myself since the day you died. It's just... I didn't know if you... if you hadn't simply done it to get rid of me too..."  
  
There was another short silence until the girl started the sniffing noises again.  
  
"And why" she asked, pouting defiantly "should I want to get rid of an uncute tomboy like you?"  
  
This question seemed to amuse Akane somehow, the hint of a smile appearing on her face.  
  
"That doesn't really make much sense, you know?" she remarked dryly, only to reply with a dejected "Tell me about it..."  
  
Yet another silence filled the room as Akane just sat there, staring at the blade in her hands with a sad smirk on her lips.  
  
"You do realize that I love you, don't you?" she suddenly asked, ending the contemplative mood that the girl seemed to have settled into.  
  
"Yeah, I've noticed," came the reply, one of her hands letting go of the knife's handle and, ever so slowly, rising up to gently touch her lips.  
  
"So you surely understand why I have to do this," she queried further, closing her eyes as she leaned her head into that touch.  
  
"I..., I... guess I do..." her voice responded hesitantly. "It's just..."  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"What about your family? What about the dojo?" Akane's `other' voice asked timidly. "If you die, so does the school."  
  
"That's sweet Ranma, but let's face the facts," her `original' voice replied with a hint of remorse, "I've never been the heir to the school. If I was, wouldn't daddy have trained me for real? Instead of investing all of his hopes in our marriage? I guess not."  
  
"Maybe he'll change now," her voice spoke up hopefully, "I mean, now that I'm no longer available..."  
  
"But that's the problem, stupid," Akane remarked. "Now that you're no longer `available' I don't care anymore about who's the heir, or the best or... pretty much anything else. Trust me, it was a nasty shock when I realized just how much of my life depended on you."  
  
"Yeah, I know the feeling..." And somewhere in the back of her mind, Akane could sense some stray emotions, of loss, of desperation, of helplessness. And though they felt familiar, she realized that they were not her own, feeling like they had been tempered with relief yet kept alive by an unexpected amount of insecurity.  
  
"Ranma," she breathed, "I never knew..."  
  
"What, that I'm scared for you?" came the reply, intended to sound angry but failing miserably. "That I'm afraid that you might get hurt hanging around me? `Course you don't..." Then came a heavy sigh and Akane's posture deflated considerably, her shoulders slumping. "It's not like I ever told anyone," she whispered a heavy-hearted confession.  
  
For a while, nothing else happened. Akane just sat there, one hand still on her lips, the other resting in her lap with the Knife held securely. Her breathing came rhythmically, if somewhat shallow, and her face displayed the strange mix a of compassionate smile and a worried frown. Then suddenly, sounding so unexpectedly resolute that Akane almost jumped, her `other' voice spoke up again.  
  
"There's another reason why you shouldn't do it."  
  
"And what's that?" Akane demanded to know patiently, not believing for one second that Ranma could come up with anything that might make her change her mind if neither her own beloved family nor the art could keep her from joining with him.  
  
"What if there was a way for me to come back?"  
  
-  
  
"What's taking her so long," Nabiki asked in irritation at her youngest sister's sluggishness. "She's been in there for more than an hour."  
  
With `in there' she referred to the bathroom she had been watching through a crack in the door of her room. And as she had been standing, or rather leaning, next to it for quite some time now, her mood wasn't on its best behavior. Not that her current companion minded. This wasn't because Ryoga, for his part sitting on the chair by her desk, was particularly immune to female tempers. Far from it in fact. He had proven many times before that an angry woman could scare him way more efficiently than, say, a horde of mutated ten foot dinosaur ninjas wearing fukus. But at the moment most of his mind was somewhere else, and what little of it stayed alert to his surrounding was way too sparse and in-between to catch the girl's dark vibes.  
  
"Maybe she feels like taking a long soak," he answered absentmindedly, seemingly more interested in watching the palm of his hands than musing about Akane's chances to turn into something akin to a prune.  
  
"Long soak my ass," Nabiki shot back, glad for any possible release for her frustration. "If she ain't out of there the next couple of minutes, then I'm going in."  
  
"You do that," was all Ryoga replied, not exactly helping the girl's mood either.  
  
Nabiki thanked him for his exaggerated display of concern with a poisonous glare that could have turned the most resilient of men into a quivering heap. Too bad that fang-boy lacked even the minimal amount of attention necessary to simply flinch.  
  
"Damn it Ryoga," she growled at him, the ignorance he just kept displaying grating at her nerves almost as much as her sister's mysterious behavior. "Is that all you're going to do tonight? Sit around and twirl your thumbs? I thought you cared for Akane! But if you really did, you wouldn't be sitting around here like a goddamn statue. You would be out there and do... something!"  
  
"Like barging in on her while she's taking a bath," Ryoga stated dryly, not bothering to look up from his observation. "I can't see how this would improve the situation."  
  
"Spare me your sarcasm," came the annoyed reaction from the door. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. How can you just sit around and snipe half-sentences at me when my sister seems to finally have snapped completely? Or haven't you noticed that her conduct during dinner was more than a little suspicious? To tell you the truth, it was outright scary!"  
  
Now that succeeded in making Ryoga look up. But honestly, hearing someone like Nabiki Tendo admit to any kind of fear can do that to a guy. He glanced at her thoughtfully, taking in the her tense posture, the way her fingers tapped the elbows of her arms crossed in front of her chest. The strange look in her eyes that she obviously tried to hide behind that frown she wore.  
  
"It's funny," he said without any humor, "I always thought that nothing could break your cool. But look at you now. You're just as nervous as you claim that I should be."  
  
"And what's wrong with that?" Nabiki snapped at him. "Something strange happened to my baby-sister this afternoon, and I need to figure out what it was before yet another catastrophe happens. Is that so hard to understand?"  
  
"No," Ryoga agreed with a slight shake of his head. "Actually I'm pleasantly surprised to see you act so..." He shrugged his shoulders, unable to find a suitable word to describe her behavior. "...normal. But I believe your concern makes you overlook an important detail."  
  
"Does it," Nabiki asked acidly, wishing, not for the first time, that looks could kill for real. Well not really kill, more cause really painful, lasting damage to teach a certain moron to stop acting like some blasted upperclassman. "Then why don't you enlighten me about my errors, Hibiki-sensei."  
  
The sarcastic honorifics were once more completely lost on Ryoga, but he did share his simple observation with her.  
  
"Akane said that the reason for the change of mood was her talk with Ukyou. So if we went for some Okonomiyaki before confronting her, you'd probably get some useful information to help you spot the `gaps' in her story."  
  
This proposal was innocent enough, but Nabiki looked at her companion as if he head suddenly grown a second head. Probably out of shock for having disregarded an option that stood so easily to reason. While a `dumb jock' like Ryoga figured it out no less. But once the embarrassment wore off she sprang into action, grabbing her purse from the desk before suddenly standing in front of Ryoga, hands on her hips and one foot tapping the floor impatiently.  
  
"C'mon move it," she told him. "It's impolite to keep your date waiting."  
  
"My what?!" the fanged boy asked, shaken by the statement and granting Nabiki no small measure of satisfaction by doing so.  
  
"Well, a boy, a girl, an evening out with the boy ending up paying for everything..." Nabiki explained, her famous evil smirk making it's first appearance in days. "Sounds like a date to me."  
  
-  
  
By now, Ranma had given a complete account of his weird run-in with Doctor Tofu and Mrs. Ichikagawa, a.k.a. the infamous `ladle-lady'. Akane almost knocked herself out as she tried to whack him with her mallet for not telling her earlier about that little detail. Fortunately he managed to stay her hand, or their encounter might have met an untimely end. There was an advantage to her outburst though, as far as Ranma was concerned. The knife had gone flying into a far corner of the room when the mallet had appeared in her hands on its own mystical accord. Anyway, Akane was more than a little pissed and she expressed this in no uncertain words.  
  
"... and here I almost killed myself for nothing," she accused her physically-challenged love interest. "How could you hold back news like that? Why didn't you simply tell me from the start, `Hey Akane, scratch that, I'm coming back anyway'?"  
  
"Aww c'mon, what did you expect me to do when I saw you about to gut yourself?" the spirit that had come to possess her questioned rhetorically. "Take a break to think up a catchy phrase?"  
  
"Oh nooo," Akane retorted dramatically, "the great Ranma Saotome stopping to think things over. Now that's too much to hope for."  
  
"Hey, if I would have you'd be dead already and it wouldn't matter anyway," her `other' voice replied defensively. "It's not like I'm inclined to simply switch our roles, you know?"  
  
"You're still an idiot," Akane pouted in mild annoyance, though obviously prepared to forgive his offence in the face of the actually happy news. "I mean, why did you come back here at all? Who knows, maybe you could already be alive right now?"  
  
"Yeah, it's not that I didn't think about that," she heard herself admit. "It's just that I wasn't sure..." Here the voice trailed off, apparently searching for the right words to continue. "Admit it, people reacted strange enough when I was just a freak because I changed genders on a regular basis. Imagine how bad they'd react if I rose from the dead!"  
  
"Hah, I knew it!" Akane exclaimed triumphantly, startling her spiritual lodger. "You really are an idiot!"  
  
Sporting a smile, she began to prove the validity of her claim.  
  
"Come on Ranma," she said patiently, as if talking to a sulking child, "this isn't any regular neighborhood we're talking about. This is Nerima. Even Tarou doesn't earn more than a second glance anymore. And as far as it concerns you, I bet they'd accept about everything anyway. And even if they didn't," she paused to hug herself lovingly, "we could still start over somewhere else."  
  
Instead of a direct answer, Akane felt the force behind her self-induced hug increase and an involuntary shivering went through her body.  
  
"Hey Akane," she suddenly heard her voice sniffle feebly, "I..., I don't know how to... I not good at..." Suddenly there were those emotions again. The ones that were so similar to her own and yet so different. Weak at first, more like a gut-feeling, they quickly grew in intensity, threatening to drown out her own. But even though she was stunned and even a little intimidated by their sheer force, Akane didn't try to block them out. Quite on the contrary. She opened herself completely to the onslaught, craving to drink in Ranma's hopes and fears, his childish joys and his petty angers, his doubts, his beliefs.  
  
His love for her.  
  
Not flashy like a sparkling diamond or a star-lit night sky.  
  
Not loud like a choir of angels praising her name.  
  
It was more like a steady, pulsing sensation, like a heartbeat, dictating the very rhythm of his existence.  
  
And while that feeling alone almost overwhelmed her, it was another one that took her breath away.  
  
His confidence.  
  
The one feeling he had always possessed in abundance, radiating it like a central-heating stuck on the highest setting.  
  
Only that this time it wasn't directed at himself.  
  
This awesome, almost laughably powerful emotion threatening to blow her away, it was nothing less than his boundless confidence in ...herself...  
  
-  
  
Standing by the dojo's exit, Ranma looked back at the girl lying spread-eagled on the floor while sporting a silly grin.  
  
`Man,' he thought dryly, `once I'm back I should try this possession thing too. People really seem to enjoy it.'  
  
"Hey," he called out loud towards Akane's motionless form, "I'll be going then. So no more follies `till I'm back, okay?"  
  
"Hmm-mm," Akane agreed dreamily, startling the pigtailed ghost. But he shrugged it off as a coincidence, knowing full well that she had no means to actually hear him. So he turned and, with a last glance back at his fiancée, walked out of the room. He better should have looked were he was heading, for as it was, he almost ran into someone. Fortunately the newcomer announced himself in time. And in style as well.  
  
For lo and behold, there was a bright light suddenly filling the sky and the sound of drums and fanfares coming from all directions. And engulfed in a ray of heavenly light an apparition stood boldly, one hand holding a flaming sword, the other raised in a commanding gesture, while a halo crowned its golden mane. And in a voice that sounded like a thousand crystal bells striking at once, it addressed the flabbergasted ghost.  
  
"Err, excuse me," it asked sheepishly, "you wouldn't happen to be Ranma Saotome...?"  
  
---  
  
Authors notes: Hey folks, now how's that? No heart-wrenching cliffhangers this time. Just a little teasing to prove that the heavens haven't completely forgotten about our deceased hero. *Sigh*, I must be going soft in my old age. I hope you're not too disappointed.  
  
Oh, and if you remember last weeks spelling competition, there's a winner! `applause'  
  
Well, make it two, because both Philodox -and- Lord Specter managed to at least get the first three characters right. Their prize is an instant teleportation once around the world! `applause' `applause' `applause'  
  
Yes! And it applies right...  
  
(Author looks on his watch and seems to count down silently)  
  
...NOW! `fanfare'  
  
So tell me guys, now that you're safely back home from your round-trip, did you enjoy it? Did you bring photos? Oh, and were did you get those really spiky looking maces...? Aaaaa.....  
  
(Author is seen running for the hills with two angry people hot on his tail, hopefully to return somewhat around next week.)  
  
PS: Oi, Lija, last weeks error-correction was made after returning from an all-weekend wedding party and the 5 hours drive back home. That should suffice as an excuse. If you've still got qualms with it though, I've got no problems in planning you in as an additional proofreader for one of my next projects. Just say the word.  
  
PPS: Hmm, notenchi, I'don't know. Both of them cats? Where's the fun in that? If anything, Akane should become a dog. Now THAT would call forth some interesting situations. BwaHaHaHa... (insert `Evil Mad Scientist Laugh'-TM- )  
  
PPPS: (Gee, this gets annoying) I never thought that I'd ever write something like this but... D-Chan! What the §&%=§! are you wasting your time reviewing my stories? Finish your own first! People ARE waiting, you know? Well, at least I do. 


	10. Divine Interlude

Please allow me to introduce myself  
  
I'm a man of wealth and taste  
  
I've been around for a long, long year  
  
Stole many a man's soul and faith  
  
And I was 'round when Jesus Christ  
  
Had His moment of doubt and pain  
  
Made damn sure that Pilate  
  
Washed his hands and sealed His fate  
  
-  
  
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name  
  
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game  
  
-  
  
(Excerpt from: Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil)  
  
----------  
  
SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
Oh, and don't ask me who's got the rights on angels and gods and stuff. That's probably the Big One himself. I hope he doesn't mind this story, because I'm screwed real good if he does.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 10: Divine Interlude  
  
-  
  
A storm was coming, that much was obvious. The air had taken on a leaden quality and dark clouds had begun to amass above the heads of Nerima's population. And though the sun, already on its way to sink behind the western horizon, still shed its light from under the storm-clouds' fringe and bathed the district in rosy colors, no one seemed inclined to stay outside and admire this impressive spectacle. For the brand of people living in this place knew their storms by heart. As residents of a coastal area of Japan you can't help to become an expert on them. Hailstorms, whirlwinds, thunderstorms, even the occasional hurricane were nothing that could scare them. Caution? Yes. Respect? You bet. But the majority of them wouldn't show any sign of fear in the face of natures destructive forces. They would secure their houses by putting the rain-shields in front of their windows and verandas and wait out the event with a stoic demeanor. But this time it was different. The storm had  
come too fast, the clouds' coloring seemed too dark and, worst of all, it simply hovered over the place like the sword of Damokles, circling, waiting. Almost as if it had a mind of its own and now tried to figure out the best, or rather worst, moment to strike.  
  
-  
  
Kinyou never noticed the strange weather outside, as he was currently more interested in his immediate surroundings. Those consisted, apart from a wide range of rare botanical plants, of a strikingly beautiful girl that, for some reason, seemed unwilling to part with his company just yet. It should be unnecessary to explain why Kinyou, as a healthy member of the male species, had no problem with this. Walking through the greenhouse, Kodachi would explain to him the names, properties and needs of the various specimen and in turn Kinyou would nod appreciatively and comment on a flower's beauty or a herb's usefulness. But the greatest part of his attention wasn't on anything that needed chlorophyll to survive. Not directly anyway. It was more on his host's changeable personality. Back in the house the shock about what had happened outside had understandably confused and maybe frightened her, leading to a somewhat subdued behavior. Well, maybe the headaches helped with that too.  
Then, as the aspirin started to do its job and Kodachi recovered most of her composure, she began to act more and more aloof, sounding almost medieval at times and acting that part too. That had Kinyou prepare to take his leave under one pretext or another but then the conversation suddenly turned towards flowers. Even at the slightest mention of those colorful room-decorations another change seemed to go on inside the eccentric girl. She almost jumped out of her seat, starting to talk about roses and orchids and whatnot and generally acting like a typical, if somewhat overexcited, girl of her age. It wasn't as if Kinyou had any particular interest in the topic, with maybe the exception of, err, a couple of `medical herbs' he grew back at home. But the enthusiasm alone that the girl radiated was enough to fascinate him. And by the time she grabbed his hand and dragged him through half of the mansion to where the greenhouse was located, all thoughts of returning to Ukyou's  
restaurant had capitulated and resigned towards simply enjoying the ride. So there he was, taking his lessons in Botany 101 and sneaking glances at his once again charming lecturer through the foliage.  
  
"What's this one?" he asked with mild interest, pointing at a large, purple flower that resembled an exploded trumpet.  
  
"This," Kodachi explained, reaching out to gently stroke the flowers bloom, "is a Sarracena purpurea." Then she looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, a mocking smile on her lips.  
  
"Don't let her beauty fool you," she said in a suggestive voice, "she's a carnivore."  
  
"Oooh scary," Kinyou replied playfully, adjusting his baseball-cap so the sunshield shadowed his eyes. "Especially for such a fly guy like me."  
  
"I don't know," Kodachi stated, her smile broadening because of his antics. "Maybe a new set of clothes and a haircut and you could be in danger."  
  
It was a good thing that the upper part of Kinyou's face was hidden by the cap. Bulging eyes are always such a turn-off.  
  
"You really like this place, don't you?" he asked, feeling a sudden urge to change the subject.  
  
"Oh yes," the girl exclaimed with a passion. "The house may be where I life, but this..." She spread her arms and turned in a circle, as if to embrace the whole room. "...this is my home."  
  
He understood that sentiment far better than Kodachi probably expected. Maybe even better than she did herself. Because what Kinyou knew, and Kodachi most likely didn't, was that the thick foliage inside the greenhouse represented a very effective shield against any `whispering voices' that might rule the rest of the area. Living matter, even if of an inanimate nature, was the hardest to penetrate for spirits or magic. And if it was as varied and numerous as in this very room, chances were that this place was probably the most spiritually pure in the whole compound. Especially considering the fact that it was most certainly off-limits for a certain kendoist.  
  
But no matter how insulated the greenhouse was from the more mystical forms of energy, outside a storm was brewing and its more esoteric symptoms began to make themselves noticed.  
  
"What the..." Kinyou exclaimed as his head snapped up and he noticed the pitch-black clouds through the greenhouse's transparent roofing.  
  
Kodachi's gaze followed his towards the intimidating display in the sky. She didn't seem too troubled by it though.  
  
"It seems like a storm is almost upon us," she observed casually, only to lower her voice to a deeper, almost seductive tone. "Maybe you should consider staying here for the night?"  
  
As much as Kinyou would have welcomed this suggestion any other time, now he hardly acknowledged it. Instead he turned on his haunches, looking like a bloodhound sniffing for his prey. Deciding from where the strange vibes he was feeling seemed to come from, he pointed a finger in the direction of their source.  
  
"The Tendo-Dojo, it's that way, isn't it? " he asked without preamble.  
  
Despite appearances, Kodachi didn't possess that much experience when it came to invite a boy to stay for the night. But she was pretty sure that this was not the correct answer. Even if the only other guy she ever had suggested something similar to this had acted almost identical. But Ranma had lived at the Dojo and Kinyou didn't.  
  
"Well yes," she admitted in irritation, "but what..."  
  
Kinyou didn't feel like explaining, a strange premonition urging him to hurry up and get to the Tendo-residence at once. So he interrupted her quite impolitely by grabbing her shoulders and forcefully turning her towards him.  
  
"What's the fastest way for us to get there?" he demanded to know, breaking about every single rule in the big book of Japanese host-guest relations with his behavior. Kodachi seemed surprised by his vehement manners, but not exactly displeased. A grin stole across her features and a dangerous glint entered her eyes.  
  
"The fastest way you say...?" she asked innocently.  
  
-  
  
"Whaaa...!"  
  
Kinyou was glad that he had insisted on phoning Ukyou prior to their departure from the Kuno estate. He wasn't sure if he would still be in a coherent enough state to do so once they arrived at the Tendo's. That was partially because of the fact that he was currently bouncing across the rooftops of Nerima at speeds usually reserved for jet-powered vehicles. The other reason was that he did so pressed close to the not inconsiderable bosom of his means of transport. The loss of blood was substantial and the resulting stains probably impossible to remove.  
  
So as everyone who ever risked his sanity in a rollercoaster might attest, Kinyou had the time of his life. And he expressed this in the only appropriate way. By shouting hysterically.  
  
"Whaaa...!"  
  
-  
  
"Err... hello?" the celestial entity inquired, waving his free hand in front of Ranma's slack-jawed face. "Anybody home?"  
  
"Who... the... fu..." Ranma began to curse once his surprise had worn off enough for conscious thought again. But the return of conscious thought also meant that he realized the likely nature of his shiny visitor and that it might be wise to hold back on four-letter words.  
  
"Who are you?" he corrected himself accordingly.  
  
"Huh?" the apparition replied intelligently, looking at the pigtailed ghost in confusion. But then his face brightened up, if that was possible considering all the light he was already emitting, and he started to search his robe for something. It was quite a funny sight, the way he stood there with the flaming sword tucked under his arm as he did so. But eventually his search proved successful and he fished a small piece of cardboard from one of the folds of his obviously fireproof clothing.  
  
"Here you go," he said happily as he handed it to the puzzled ghost.  
  
"What's this" Ranma asked in disbelief, turning the small rectangle over in his hands, "an angel with a business-card?"  
  
"Well you see," the celestial being tried to explain, "people on this island seem to prefer them to the classic `Behold (insert name here), messenger of the heavens' routine."  
  
"Ah, yes..." Ranma said, feigning an understanding that he didn't really possess. Then he tried his hand at deciphering the richly embroidered writing on the card.  
  
"Says here that you are Uri... kha... niel...?" he read slowly and with obvious problems.  
  
"UriPHAniel..." the angel supplied helpfully.  
  
"And you work for... acquisition?" Ranma continued unimpressed, looking up at the angel in surprise. "Does that mean you're, like, collecting people's souls?" As he asked this, he took an involuntary step back and his posture became more defensive. The angel, Uriphaniel, noticed this and waved a hand in a appeasing manner.  
  
"Not like that, not like that," he insisted in near panic. "I'm not here to take you away by force. I mean, it doesn't work like that anyway. Think of it more as something like..."  
  
"A job-offer," a dark, sultry voice added from the deep shadow by the dojo's walls.  
  
-  
  
While Ranma faced the representative of the celestial employment-agency, Akane was still lying on her back inside the dojo, her grin as insanely wide as before. Chance were that she would have spent the rest of night in this positions and probably woken up with the mother of all cramps in her facial musculature. But then someone entered the dojo with soft steps and she was forced out of her glorious reverie by her father's quiet voice.  
  
"I'm not sure what I expected to see when I came here," he said matter-of-factly, for once either too sober or too drunk for his usual antics. "Sure, I fully expected you to at least consider suicide and maybe I even expected..., I don't know... Maybe I expected to find you already dying." He shook his head as if to clear it of the dust and cobwebs that had cluttered the place over the years. Then, with a sigh, he continued with what he had come tell his daughter. "But when I stood in front of the dojo, dreading what I might find, I hesitated to go inside. I was scared out of my mind, I'll admit to that. I, a master of the school of Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu, have been too afraid to enter my own dojo because of the fear to find my little daughter doing something that I couldn't all those years ago. And then I listened in to your... conversation."  
  
Finishing with his admission, he looked down at his daughter, an expression of bewilderment on his face. Akane, for her part, hadn't moved at all since her father had made his appearance. Only her head had turned to face his direction. She didn't seem worried by his confession, nor did she seem flustered or ashamed. Considering the overwhelmed smile she still wore, she wouldn't turn towards any of those more regular emotions anytime soon.  
  
"I can't die, daddy," she said in a dreamy voice. "Ranma wouldn't let that happen."  
  
"Yes," her father agreed seriously. "I heard it."  
  
Kneeling down by his daughter's side, Sound reached out to gently stroke her head.  
  
"Do you believe that he can do it?" he asked cautiously, never wanting to alarm his little girl but experiencing a hard time wrapping his mind around the concept of anybody coming back from the `beyond'.  
  
"Oh daddy," Akane admonished him softly, "all we've been through and you still doubt it? Come on, show some faith."  
  
Soun couldn't help but stare at his daughter, at the way she simply lay there on the ground in complete relaxation, radiating nothing but confidence and joy. And he wondered if it wouldn't be nice to feel like that too. Wouldn't it be pleasant to once more walk happily towards a bright future, instead of shuffling away from a glorious past? But before he could dwell further upon this concept, a low, rumbling sound disturbed the quiet room. A sound anyone living around Japan knew by heart.  
  
"A storm is coming," he stated the obvious, looking towards the dojo's backdoors, from whose general direction the sound had originated. Snapping her head around, Akane faced the same way, listening intently for the wind and any other signs of nature's incoming wrath.  
  
"Seems like we should hurry to put up the rain-shields," she remarked idly, a little displeased with the weather for forcing her down from her own little cloud.  
  
"Yes," Soun agreed quickly, glad in a way for the distraction. "I'll start with the dojo. You go inside and call the others to help."  
  
"Okay," Akane quipped, getting up. "Oh, and daddy?" she asked, turning to grin at him mischievously. Then her head darted forward to place a peck on his cheek right next to the mustache. "Love ya..."  
  
And with that she ran out of the dojo to gather her sisters. Left behind, her slightly befuddled father had a single tear running down his face. Right next to a smile.  
  
-  
  
She walked out of the shadows as Venus might have risen out of the surf. Provided that another of those Exxon-tankers had just keeled over. Black as night where the clothes that managed to hide her curvaceous body just so. Black as a raven's feathers was the hair that flowed around her almost with a life of their own. But red as the purest ruby glowed the eyes in her immaculate face, complementing her again coal-colored lips nicely.  
  
"Please excuse the rude interruption," she breathed with an, obviously feigned, shy smile. "But I couldn't help to listen in on your little conversation."  
  
"Cthu?" Uriphaniel croaked in surprise as he recognized the newcomer. "What are YOU doing here?"  
  
"Well I could ask you the same little angel," the almost menacingly beautiful woman replied lightly. "Sneaking away from your colleagues to try and snatch the prize from under our nose? What do you say, I'm almost impressed." The last part she purred, stepping closer to the big-sweating angel and grinning at his slightly higher face. Next to the heavily contrasting couple a cough was heard as Ranma `cleared' his `throat'.  
  
"Ehm, excuse me? Misses? I don't want ta be rude but...who are you?" As he asked that question he sounded rather suspicious. Usually he was pretty open to new acquaintances, but taking into account his general experiences with beautiful women popping out of nowhere he was feeling a tad bit nervous at the moment. Not completely without reason as was soon demonstrated.  
  
The woman's head snapped around and those fiery eyes focused on the awkward ghost.  
  
"I strongly doubt that hearing my full name would alleviate your confusion," she told him with a wink. "But if you want to try..." With that she held up two fingers and, in a puff of yellow smoke that looked a lot like it might smell of sulfur, another business-card appeared. With a flick of her hand she sent it Ranma's way, who caught it nimbly. As he tried his hand at deciphering the red characters on that black piece of cardboard he began to catch her drift. The name printed upon it went on for almost three lines, in small Latin characters, and it consisted mostly of consonants. But that wasn't the part that worried Ranma the most. It was rather the address field beneath it that did the job. `666 Hell Central' wasn't exactly a place were you'd expect exceptionally nice characters to hail from.  
  
"Whoa... demon!" Ranma shouted in near panic. "You're a bloody demon!"  
  
"Tss, tss," the women admonished him in apparent amusement, "I am no such filthy creature as a `demon'..."  
  
She spoke that word with such contempt and disgust that Ranma was almost willing to believe her. But his relieve was short-lived as Uriphaniel corrected his little misconception.  
  
"Actually, she's a devil," he explained a little sheepishly.  
  
"Whoa... devil!" Ranma shouted, near panic again and not minding the repetition. "What's a devil wanting from me?!"  
  
"The same as anyone else," yet another voice spoke up. This one sounded male, dark and commanding as it was, and it came from the trees standing next to the dojo's rear. "Try and make you an offer you can't refuse."  
  
-  
  
The threat of the impending storm became more and more tangible as Akane ran towards the house. Little did she know that its intensifying ran mostly parallel to the number of mythological entities popping up in her backyard. But how could she have know this, as they were invisible to the mortal eye anyway. So for her, the clouds were the problem, not the heavens. According to this she hurried to get her family together in time, so they had a chance to put up the protective shielding for the windows and the veranda. She almost bowled over Nabiki and Ryoga in the entryway, who seemed to be already on their way out.  
  
"Oh good, so you already noticed..." she coughed up once she regained her balance from the near-crash.  
  
"Noticed what," Nabiki asked a little peeved, surprises like this not really her forte. After all she preferred to happen to people, not have people happen to her. Suddenly she remembered who she was talking to, the exact girl on who's appearance she had waited for what seemed like hours.  
  
"Akane, did something happen? Are you okay?" she blurred out and grabbed her younger sister by the shoulders, only to continue her inquiries in a more forceful voice. "What were you doing out there? I thought you're still in the bathroom...!"  
  
"Aww, now come on Nabiki" Akane admonished her sister, shaking off the hands that held her. "We've got time for some talking once we've got the house secured."  
  
Before Nabiki had a chance for an appropriate retort, Ryoga added his own part to the conversation.  
  
From where he stood opposite the door he had a very nice view of the outside, and this included a patch of sky that was full of silver-lined, dark and looming clouds.  
  
"Oh shit!" he remarked heartily. Some of his dread was due to the impressive natural display outside. But for the most part it originated in his, easily understandable, fear of what might happen should he get caught up in the coming downpour with Akane looking on.  
  
-  
  
To say that Ranma was disconcerted by the newest addition to the congregation would be like claiming that the Namib desert was at times a tad bit dry. He stared at the newcomer with wide eyes, unsure what to expect now that heaven and hell had already sent in their representatives. It was a man, that much was obvious, sharing the devil's taste for black clothing though adding his own touch in the form of silver studs and buckles. His sleeveless vest exposed muscular arms as well as a good deal of his chest. Black locks combed back, held in place by some sort of gel that gave them a slimy look, covered his head and a short-cropped beard framed the self-confident smirk on his lips.  
  
"To forestall any questions of yours," he said as he sauntered closer, "my name is Ares, I've got none of those `business-cards' and... I'm the god of war."  
  
His gait was that of a warrior to Ranma's trained eye, so the claim might as well hold some credit. But still, even as Ranma had never cared much for mythology, the name sounded kind of wrong.  
  
"Ares?" he asked, some of his nervousness allayed by curiosity, "shouldn't that be Susannoo-no-something?"  
  
"What do you kids learn in school nowadays," Ares complained amusedly. "That's your very own god of storms you're referring to. But considering the circumstances...," he glanced up at the looming clouds overhead, "... I wouldn't be too surprised if he dropped too." Turning his attention back to the pigtailed ghost, he shrugged his shoulders, as if to imply that this was the least of his worries. "Anyway, as I was saying, little Misses Luzifer and St. Goldenlocks probably came here to propose a job to you. Just like me, I might add."  
  
"Gee, what are you guys going on about jobs?" Ranma complained, his head darting in an attempt to look at all three of his visitors at once. "It's not like I ain't got enough to worry about already."  
  
"Is that so," Ares inquired with a smirk. "And what exactly should keep you too occupied to consider a future as a celestial warrior?"  
  
"In the Legions of Heaven," Uriphaniel threw in, compulsed to add his own `five cents'.  
  
"Or the hordes of Hell?" the She-Devil cued seductively, unwilling to stand behind.  
  
Ares glared at the two, irritated about his interrupted discourse.  
  
"As I was saying," he spat in their general direction before returning his attention to the bemused ghost, "facts are: you're dead. So why should you wish to hang around this place," the ancient God of War gestured at his surroundings with an almost disgusted expression on his face, "as a useless ghost no less. Now on the other hand, if you came with me, the afterworld would be your oyster..."  
  
Before Ranma could respond to this, the female devil spoke up in a sarcastic voice.  
  
"And why should he want to do that?" she inquired, the venom dripping from her words almost visible on her full lips. "So that he might act an extra in a second-rate TV-show about outdated gods? I don't think he'll be interested in that."  
  
"Hey, I thought you liked those shows," Uriphaniel remarked, casting a surprised glance at the woman next to him. "Especially the one about that warrior-princess..."  
  
"That was before I met her in person," the devil replied with a shudder. "Never mention that `do-gooder' she's still hanging out with..."  
  
"Hey, don't confuse hobbies with my real function," Ares protested indignantly. "And anyway, through that little work of `fiction' I got quite an increase in following . Wasn't that the reason your folks," he nodded towards Uriphaniel , "forced the director to do those horrible `archangel' episodes in the first place?"  
  
Raising an eyebrow, the hellspawn looked quizzically at her contrite companion.  
  
"Figures," she quipped, "once you think about it, they were indeed a tad bit bland. Just like your folks prefer it, right?"  
  
-  
  
She touched down from out of the sky right in front of the Gates that lead to the Tendo residence, appearing like one of those mystical entities that seemed to favor the place of late. But the young man she carried in her arms was all too aware that she was very well made of flesh and blood. The arms around him had an authentic feel to them, not to mention the chest he was currently pressed to. And now that the rushing winds caused by their merry hopping-spree was gone, he noticed that light smell of soap and roses she gave off. He didn't get much further with his observation though, as Kodachi was just about to set him down again.  
  
"So," she asked smugly once he stood on his own feet again, "did you enjoy the ride?"  
  
Kinyou didn't answer her directly. Standing on wobbling feet, he simply stared at her with wide eyes sporting slightly dilated pupils and a grin that threatened to split his head in two.  
  
"Wow!" he summed up the combined experiences of the last quarter of an hour eloquently. "Definitely, utterly wow!"  
  
"I'm glad to see you enjoyed it," Kodachi replied, surprised at feeling the enthusiastic praise cause a blush to spread across her cheeks. "I wasn't sure if you'd appreciate the shortcut across the rooftops."  
  
"What rooftops," Kinyou asked absentmindedly, the almost manic grin never wavering. "Didn't noticed no rooftops..."  
  
-  
  
Still standing behind the dojo, Ranma looked on in confusion as one ancient god, one female devil with a, probably professional, penchant for gothic attire and one slightly ridiculous angel argued about the qualities of Sunday-afternoon entertainment.  
  
"Makes you wonder how they ever get anything done," a voice suddenly spoke from right next to him, almost succeeding in making him jump out of his nonexistent skin. With wide eyes he turned to stare at the woman that was suddenly leaning at the same wall as him. She was of medium height and probably European descent, judging by the fair skin, the two thick straw-colored pigtails hanging down both sides of her face and her set of crystal-blue eyes. Her clothing seemed a little odd though, that with the winged helmet, the chainmail getup sporting something akin to a spiked metal bra and the heavy fur-rimmed cloak. Considering the nature of his latest acquaintances, Ranma had no trouble figuring out the reason for her attendance though.  
  
"Gee, not another one," he complained once he was past the initial surprise. "Let me guess. You're here to offer me a job too, right?"  
  
"How did you know?" the Nordic woman asked with a hint of sarcasm. Then she winked at him and reached out a hand. "Hi, the name's Mechthild and I'm a Valkyrie."  
  
Ranma looked quizzically at the offered limb until he remembered the fact that in most western cultures there was this strange habit of `shaking hands' for a welcome. Unthinkable for the average Japanese, considering they acted almost hysterical towards all things threatening their hygiene. But Ranma figured that there were few bacteria that could harm a ghost, so he indulged her by taking a hold of the hand and giving his name in reply.  
  
"Saotome Ranma," he said a little hesitatingly, "and I'm... err... dead."  
  
"How convenient," the valkyrie remarked, suddenly pulling him closer forcefully via their linked hands. "For I AM currently looking for a dead guy. A warrior. A reaaal man." The last part she cooed seductively, placing her free hand on his chest while flapping her eyelids like a nervous Kolibri. A little more than a week ago this would have had the desired, a.k.a. devastating, effect on the pigtailed martial-artist. But as for now he lacked the necessary set of glands and so all the transpired within him where waking memories of a certain Amazon and her `close-combat-techniques'. And so he reacted as his well honed reflexes dictated in a case like that, though again thanks to his aforementioned lack of glands with far less of the usual panic.  
  
"Hey let go!" he demanded loudly, his shout managing to break up the conversation going on in the sidelines.  
  
"Hey look, it's the Walhalla-tramp again!" an indignant She-Devil called out from where she stood, with her hands having a firm grip on the lapels of Ares leather-vest. Though the image was similar to that of the oncoming Valkyrie and her designated prey, there was no intimacy involved in this one. It looked more like a picture out of an advertisement for groin-protectors, that with the way her knee was positioned. But whatever her original intentions toward the god of war, they were forgotten now that her attention was on the newcomer. The same appeared true for Ares, as he removed his foot from Uriphaniel's head and unceremonially dropped the flaming sword he had liberated from the angel.  
  
"Typical, just when you're done with one bitch," he sneered with a nod towards the devil, "another one pops up."  
  
"Hey, who do you call a bitch?" both of the attending females shouted back in anger, barring sharp steel or fangs respectively.  
  
"Well, surely not St. Doormat here," Ares replied, nonchalantly kicking away the legs from under the almost risen angel again.  
  
There was a twin-scream of rage and soon Ranma was standing once more alone by the wall. Not that he minded that fact too much. The show was great, and for once it wasn't him who suffered the beating.  
  
-  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a voice mocked coldly from the darkness, startling Kinyou as well as Kodachi and making them jump apart like teenagers caught by their returning parents. Only that it wasn't a shocked mother making her entrance but a peeved looking Okonomiyaki-chief's arrival on the scene. Close, but no cigar.  
  
"Oh, hehe,... hi Ukyou." Kinyou mumbled in embarrassment while Kodachi did her best to recover her usual haughty self.  
  
"So it seems you made it in time Kuonji," she said with her face turning blank except for an arrogant smile. That earned her a confused glance from Kinyou, who hadn't really witnessed that particular side of her yet.  
  
"I came as soon as you called," Ukyou replied, glaring at the other girl and posing as if prepared for a fight. "You've got a problem with that?"  
  
"Not in the slightest," Kodachi replied innocently, "It is always such a joy to see peasants take their duties seriously."  
  
"Is that so," Ukyou growled angrily, readying her trademark spatula. "Then you sure won't mind if I start with taking the trash out..."  
  
"If you feel up to it..." the gymnast teased, twin clubs appearing in her hands from out of nowhere.  
  
For Kinyou, being new to the area and its strange customs, that whole exchange didn't make much sense. Here they were, two girls who in his experience acted pretty decently when on their own, obviously ready to tear one another's throat out. So okay, maybe they weren't the best of friends, but that was no reason to get violent. Especially not with that strange storm brewing over their heads.  
  
"Whoa, hey, wait a minute," he shouted accordingly, stepping between the two hostile girls. "What's the problem with the two of you? Didn't you get enough workout this afternoon?" The last question he had directed at Ukyou, accompanying it with a angry look. Then he turned to face Kodachi the same way. "And why do you go and insult her like that? Do you get your kicks out of it or what?"  
  
Both girls stared at the fuming boy in disbelief, so unused to bystanders interrupting their fights that they didn't know how to react to the disruption. They didn't have to bother with it for long though, as Kinyou turned on his heels and walked towards the nearby gate.  
  
"Aww, forget about it," he growled in exasperation, pulling his coat tighter. "Go bash your heads in if you want to. But I for my part am going to check on what's wrong with this place."  
  
-  
  
Akane's head shot up from where she was just sliding the amado out of the tobukuro to protect the engawa from the coming taifu when she heard the creaking of the gate. (*)  
  
As far as she knew no visitors were expected tonight, especially considering the circumstances, that with the coming storm and all. So she was rather surprised to see Kinyou's hunched form entering the grounds. Even though she had met him just once, Akane recognized him immediately. After all she had kissed the boy today. Okay, she had actually kissed Ranma, but he had been inhabiting Kinyou's physical body, so there. For a moment she wondered if he had come here seeking shelter. But when he didn't proceed towards the house but headed for the dojo instead, not looking were he was going and kicking pebbles, Akane was sure that something was up. Pushing the rain-doors shut she turned to sneak after him, only to run into Nabiki for the second time today.  
  
"Hey Akane," the older girl whispered while following the stranger with her eyes. "Seems like we've got a trespasser."  
  
"Huh?" the distracted girl asked. "Oh, you mean Kinyou. Don't worry, he's harmless."  
  
"So you know him," Nabiki inquired, her curiosity perking as her sister brushed by her. "Say, Kinyou, wasn't that the name of Ukyou's friend you mentioned during dinner? What's he doing here all alone in the night?"  
  
"Dunno what he's up to," Akane admitted matter-of-factly, pointing towards the gate in an over-the-shoulder gesture without even looking, "but he sure ain't alone..."  
  
-  
  
The air had by now such a heavy feel to it that it seemed almost possible to cut it into slices. It was as if the weight of the massing clouds had compressed it into something tangible, hampering movement and making it hard to breath. Well at least for those that had to bother with the restraining factors of the physical world. The spirits and gods that had essentially effected the sinister weather didn't seem to mind the unusual air-pressure at all. Neither did Ranma of course. He simply watched the celestial performance going on behind the dojo. The two on one attack of the valkyrie and the devil on Ares. How the angel tried to defuse the argument only to get caught up in it too. Then that great scene as some big, fat guy with the head of an elephant and wearing a sarong dropped out of the sky and landed, by chance or intention, squarely on the squabbling quartet. That didn't go too well with them and so they menaced to go for some ivory, except for the angel who claimed  
to be a member of the WWF. The World Wildlife Federation, not the wrestlers. Anyway, just as the remaining three were making good on the threat towards the representative of the Hindu-pantheon, another guy looking for fifty-percent like something out of a zoo popped up. This one sported the black head of a jackal, white loincloths and more golden chains and ornaments than a `gangsta'-rapper. And `Snoop-doggy-god' possessed the same soothing, restrained personality obviously, for he needed no more than two sarcastic sentences to change the average opinion as to who should be the endangered species of the year. He didn't hold center-stage for too long though, as more and more entities decided to join in and add to the chaos.  
  
-  
  
A powerful low rumble sent a tremor through the homes and the inhabitants of Nerima, signaling that the thunderstorm was finally done with the warm-ups and ready to rumble. Sitting inside their hopefully secure homes, people shuddered at the thunder's almost physical presence, vibrating in their guts and jingling their bones. And when the blinding white of a lightning illuminated the edges of the protective covering in front of their windows a second later, they knew that the storm was indeed directly above them. Kids ran crying to their parents, scared by the dreadful spectacle. The parents, finding themselves suddenly oh so faithful in their own fright, sent prayers to whatever deity they believed in or deemed responsible. And the deities? Well, they obviously caused the whole mess. Such has been the cause and effect of nature's spiritual food-chain since the dawn of mankind. And it still worked nicely.  
  
-  
  
When Kinyou neared the backside of the dojo he was quickly brought out of his futile musings about girls' tempers. The reason might have been the thunder shaking the neighborhood. The blinding flash that followed close behind. The first drops of rain splashing in his face. But truth to be told, that wasn't what made him startle. It was the strange presence he had sensed in the greenhouse. If it had been barely perceivable back there, it had quadrupled in intensity once he arrived at the gates to this place. And now that he was closing in on the source, it was as if he had walked straight into a wall. The pure brute power of the feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced. At least not this side of the Styx. But when he cautiously stepped closer to the dojo's corner and risked a glance at what lay beyond, the reason for his discomfort became quite obvious. He counted at least six different entities of a divine nature exchanging insults, blows or, in the case of a  
desperate looking guy with a halo and white wings, useless pleas for peace.  
  
Completely focused on the strange display that presented itself, he never noticed the two girls that followed in his wake, until one of them tapped his shoulder.  
  
"Kinyou?" Ukyou whispered nervously, her senses screaming at her to keep a low profile but giving no logical explanation for it. "What's going on here?"  
  
Another boom of thunder shook the place, delaying any possible answer. But once the ringing in the ears subsided and the splashing of the rain around them was audible again, Kinyou turned and stared at her, his wide-eyed expression quickly turning to a very serious one in the blinding light of the inevitable flash..  
  
"Gods," he deadpanned. "Lots of gods."  
  
-  
  
Only a few meters around the corner from where Kinyou stood with the girls, Ranma still leaned by the wall. As it was, he was as completely unaware of his friends' presence as they were of his. Small wonder, that with the distraction in front of him. He watched the celestial brawl in part amusement and part slack-jawed confusion. What was the problem with those guys, he wondered. They had come here claiming to want him for some mysterious jobs or the like, but as it was, they hadn't bothered with making any offers. They actually seemed more interested in sorting out who would be allowed claim him among themselves, never bothering to ask for his own opinion. Somehow that sounded strangely familiar. Frankly, he had thought he had left stuff like that behind when he died. Actually, that had been one of the reasons why he had let himself get killed in the first place. So people stopped with that nonsense. But now it seemed just like that perpetual quarrel about his person even  
followed him beyond the grave. So much for eternal rest. Seen in that light, he figured that he was rather lucky that Mrs. Ichikagawa had made her move when she did. Already been guaranteed a new body and that he would be allowed to spent his off-time with whoever he wanted to, in other words mainly with Akane, he found himself unable to think of anything better that the gods and spirits could promise. He had no problems with thinking of a couple of worse things though. Like spending eternity playing the harp or being forced to clean away celestial elephant-manure. The usual trainee chores. The more he watched the squabbling entities and the more he thought about his options, the more he became convinced that it might be for the best to take a hike and look for the `ladle-lady'. And he would, once he knew how Ares planned to get out of the headlock that doggy-god had placed on him. Or maybe after he figured out how that valkyrie's double-kick and punch combo worked. After  
all she had downed two opponents in one go with that one. And that elephant-dude's trunk-sweep! Sure, Ranma lacked the affordable limb for such a feat, but he had adapted stranger techniques to fit into his repertoire. Obviously the pigtailed ghost still had the eye and the interests of a martial-artist, despite his current state. And so, against his better judgment, he still stayed put. And watched. And took notes.  
  
-  
  
Back around the corner, the small group of people seeking cover and enlightenment under the dojo's overhanging roof had grown to the number of five. Akane and her sister had popped up behind the startled trio consisting of Kinyou, Ukyou and Kodachi who had, much to everyone's surprise, simply greeted them with a regular `hello'.  
  
The others behaved a little less taciturn, and soon the two Tendo girls were up to date with the celestial congregation in their own backyard. Anywhere else in the world, this would have been the exact time when the irritated landowner would have called the police, or better yet the medics, to take away an obviously crazy trespasser. Akane and Nabiki though took the news at face-value, probably helped along by the fact that Ukyou backed it up. And it did explain the strange weather nicely.  
  
With the question of the trio's presence being answered, the quintet squatted down under the protection of the dojo's roof, with Kinyou sitting closest to the edge and recounting the events for those unable to see.  
  
"... but what's this? It seems like a newcomer has made his appearance on the battleground!" he commented in his best commentator-voice. "Hailing from the South-American continent and weighting at least a thousand pounds, Quetzaquatl has decided to show up in this year's contest too! With an over-all length of 20 feet and a set of poisonous fangs, this snake poses some serious threat to the already partaking contenders! It seems like his first target is the gothic lady from hell. Currently concentration on beating the stuffing out of Anubis, she's completely oblivious to his advances. But what is this? Somebody intercepts Quetzaquatl with a well placed kick to his sensitive snout! The most unlikely of defenders has come to the She-devil's aid. It's the emissary of heaven, the bearer of the flaming sword, defender of faith, the great Uriphaniel! This looks like a classic, ladies and gentlemen! The Saint against the Dragon! But let's take a look at the other side of the arena  
first. Here, Dumbo and our favorite Greek god of war are preparing to face off against the Valkyrie and her new partner. This guy is still a mystery, ladies and gentlemen. He has given no name yet, so let's call him Mr.' Turtle' for now. At least that's what the sign on his chest reads. Now Mr. Turtle might look like some god of bodybuilders, that with the orange training-suit and all, but boy, those muscles sure ain't just for decoration! Right now he's lifting `Elephant-Head' right off his feet as if it's nothing, and that guy has to weight at least half a ton! But it seems like Ares won't just stand by idly and watch his partner's predicament. He's using the opportunity to jump-kick Mr. Turtle's midsection, causing him to drop his load. That must have hurt, ladies and gentlemen! But it doesn't look like Mr. Turtle is out of action yet! He's getting up again and... what is this? Mr. Turtle's hair has just changed from black to blond and if it's been spiky before, now it  
looks like you could cut with it. And boy, does he look pissed. You could almost feel sorry for Ares, because this looks like it might get very messy, very soon... "  
  
-  
  
While the battle raged between the forces of good, bad and those merely enjoying a nice fight, Ranma noticed the umpteenth newcomer to the scene. It was a surprisingly nondescript woman, at least compared to the other entities. Wearing an apron over a simple blouse and skirt, she looked more like a regular housewife of medium age than a goddess or a spirit. To his further surprise, she didn't seem interested in the carnage at all, directly walking towards his position instead. Watching her close in on him, Ranma couldn't help the strange feeling of deja-vue that came over him. He was sure that he should recognize this woman, but from where or when he couldn't tell. So once she greeted him with a smile and a bow, he was more than a little curious about her identity. Especially as she had refused to give her name upon his request, claiming to be nothing more than an unimportant messenger.  
  
"Let me guess," Ranma asked her slightly bothered by a certain pattern, "this ain't got anything to do with some job by any chance, now does it?"  
  
"No," the woman replied with a smile, "nothing like that. The only reason I was sent here is to deliver a message from Amaterasu herself."  
  
That remark managed to startle the pigtailed ghost.  
  
"Amaterasu Omikami?!" he almost shouted in his bafflement. "What does the sun-goddess want from a guy like me?"  
  
"This," the woman replied, furthering Ranma's confusion by leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his unsuspecting cheek.  
  
"This," she repeated while smiling at his wide-eyed expression, "and to wish you the best of luck."  
  
"Err, thanks," Ranma stammered, immensely glad about his current inability to blush.  
  
The mysterious woman seemed to notice his self-conscious state anyhow, judging by the amused grin that appeared on her face. And it obviously didn't keep her from leaning in a second time and kissing his other cheek too.  
  
"And... and who was that from," Ranma requested shakily as her head retracted again.  
  
"That was from me," she replied with a satisfied smile and her eyelids half-closed. "For staying with my little girl..."  
  
And as Ranma stared at her, recognition finally setting in as he remembered the face from a photo on the little shrine in Mr. Tendo's room, she took a step back and shrugged appologetically.  
  
"Tell my family I said `Hi'" she asked as she waved him good-bye. And with that said she vanished as suddenly as she had come.  
  
-  
  
"Hey Kinyou," Nabiki called out, interrupting the life-report and earning herself glares from the other girls. Not that that phased her in the least.  
  
"Huh," the distracted boy replied, obviously finding it hard to turn his attention from the spectacle in front of him.  
  
"Why don't we see any effects of that fight?" she asked, always the inquisitive one. "I mean, we can't see those gods, okay. But the way you describe it the backyard should be in shambles by now."  
  
That observation seemed to perk the other girls interest too, for as one they looked up curiously at the boy.  
  
Kinyou had no problem producing an answer though.  
  
"Sacred ground Mc Leod," he replied with a grin. "Gods and such are under a treaty that says 'no property damage until the apocalypse'. `Course, once that one comes to pass you'll probably able to see them gods too."  
  
"Forget that I ever asked," Nabiki replied, sitting back with a huff while Kinyou commenced to commentate.  
  
-  
  
"Could you please stop this?" a frustrated angel pleaded futilely with the battling gods around him, getting no response whatsoever.  
  
"Hello?" he tried again, a little bit louder but still earning the same amount of attention. "Couldn't all of you just listen for a second? Is that too much to ask?"  
  
Instead of an answer he got bowled over by a many armed goddess who was obviously more interested in ripping Baron Samedi in two. Sitting back up from where he had been pushed, Uriphaniel looked around at the chaos and something akin to holy rage came over him.  
  
"Okay, that's it!" he huffed, his face contorting to a mask of anger. "You asked for this!"  
  
He started to rummage in his robes until he finally produced something that looked like a cross between a flute and a tuba. The ancient instrument hadn't seen any action since Jericho, but Uriphaniel had little doubts that it still worked. Getting back on his feet, the angel braced himself against the things to come and put the not really trumpet-like object to his lips. The sound he produced wasn't especially loud. But it carried through the din of battle anyhow. Painful like the drill of a dentist or the scratching of chalk on a blackboard. Or like a fork drawn across porcelain. A sound that made the ears ring no matter how hard you pressed your hands upon them. A sound that makes the teeth hurt and your head ache. That kind of sound.  
  
The assembled entities found themselves unable to continue with the fight, especially those with the animal-components in their physiology. Instead they all glared at the coughing angel as one, obviously planning to gang up on him once they got back the full control over their bodies. But Uriphaniel wasn't bothered too much by that prospect, considering that he now had, at least for the next two seconds, their full attention.  
  
"It's over you jerks. He's already gone," he proclaimed hotly, pointing at the empty spot that no longer contained a certain ghost, the one that incidentally everyone had come to acquire. "Gone, adios, basta. Elvis has left the building. You got that?"  
  
The others looked back and forth between him and the indicated spot, obviously unsure about how to handle the situation. Most of them loved a good fight as much as the next guy, but without anything to get out of this the whole thing lost a lot of its attractiveness. There were suddenly a lot of embarrassed coughs and glances at nonexistent watches as people obviously remembered they had urgent business to attend to elsewhere. One by one they disappeared until the only ones that were left consisted of the original trio.  
  
"Well, the night is still young," the female devil remarked, breaking the awkward silence. "Anybody caring for a drink?"  
  
"No thanks," Ares stated, "I still got some business to look after first. But maybe I'll join you later on."  
  
"I'm coming," the angel said, much to the devils surprise accepting the invitation. "I mean... if you don't mind."  
  
"Not at all," the spawn of hell replied with an honest smile, hooking an arm around one of his and leading him towards the next bar that admitted both of their kind.  
  
Left behind, Ares couldn't help the grin spreading over his face as he watched the strange couple leave. Morons, all of them. So the main-prize might have gone. But there where surely more allies to be found in a place like this. And he had an idea or two about the most likely places to look for them. And so it came to pass that, whistling a simple tune, Ares, the Greek God of War sauntered off the Tendo's estate and into an unsuspecting Nerima.  
  
-  
  
"Kinyou, what happened?" Ukyou asked in concern for her friend who had suddenly moaned and broken down with his hands pressed to his ears.  
  
"He can't hear you," Kodachi supplied quietly from where she knelt on the stricken boy's other side. She also seemed concerned and strangely compassionate, two qualities that the young chef never expected to witness in the gymnast. Somehow that observation didn't make her feel better.  
  
"Has he ever had any seizures before?" Nabiki asked from the background, professional as always.  
  
"Not as far as I know," Ukyou replied without looking up, her attention glued to the slumped form.  
  
"He's going to be okay," Akane assured her friend as she squatted down in the only free place around Kinyou, right in front of his face. "Ain't that so?" she inquired towards the groaning boy, lightly tapping the top of his head with one hand.  
  
"Ouwie," Kinyou complained grumpily, showing the first signs of life again. "Whatcha doing that for?"  
  
Somehow that one question seemed to lighten the surrounding girls mood, even though Kinyou couldn't tell why. Getting up to a sitting position again, he shook his head as if to clear it.  
  
"Just you wait `till I get my hands on that stupid..." he began to growl as he glared over his shoulder towards the last confirmed position of a certain angel and his infernal trumpet. Only that the noisy messenger of heaven had already left for a nice evening in a pub.  
  
"Hey, where did everyone go?" he exclaimed when he saw no more traces of the deities that had occupied the place only a short while ago. For obvious reasons the girls had no answer to that. But as the show was obviously over now and with the nasty weather still raging around them, not to mention Kinyou's headache, they agreed to retire to the house. Maybe have a cup of tea. A bite to eat. And a nice, hot soak in the furo. Definitely a nice, hot soak in the furo.  
  
-  
  
"Hey, aren't you that cat from the restaurant?"  
  
"Meowwwrr..."  
  
"Gee, I knew I've seen ya before. Say, you don't know were I can find Mrs. Ichikagawa by any chance?"  
  
"Meowrrr...?"  
  
"You know, that old woman that lives here. Only that it seems like nobody's home."  
  
"Meoowwwr..."  
  
"Huh? Sorry, what was that?"  
  
"I said Me-oow-wr. Cet means `follo' moi', stupid."  
  
"Oh, okay. Coming!"  
  
-----  
  
* - Sorry, couldn't help it. Just got a new dictionary. :-)  
  
Authors notes: Sorry. So sorry. So unbelievably, heartfelt, gutwrenchingly sorry. Honestly. Especially towards you Iija. (I know you'll feel the disappointment in a way few people can ever hope to understand.) But once again I find myself unable to provide my honored readers with a cliffhanger. I am filth. I am worth less than that black stuff under your fingernails. Completely and utterly unworthy to bother people with my mindless ramblings. At least not as long as I can't write proper cliffhangers! Well, maybe the next chapter will improve in that aspect, who knows. (Gee, don't I get obsessed over details easily.)  
  
And as I'm in this wonderful groveling-mood, I'd like to use this opportunity to apologize to Daniel Kim for that slight case of dinosaur-psychosis I induced in him. Not only once but TWICE! Sorry man, the next time I'll use something smaller. Pinky promise.  
  
As for you Foxboy, err, actually, you didn't hit that far off from target. Actually, you're pretty close. Okay, not that close, but close enough. Hope you're not disappointed now.  
  
Apropos disappointment, I sure hope that Redaeth won't get mad at me for ripping of on one of his (or her?) stories later on. Hey, I like the ways the `cat' acted, so there.  
  
While we're at it, hey notenchi, why don't we reserve the `Cats and Dogs' part for an Inu-Yasha x-over? Cat-fist vs. Dog-Demon, now if that ain't got a ring to it...  
  
Okay, now I'm fresh out of ideas, but tdei and Peter Kim, I've read your reviews too and, well, thanks. I'm glad for any encouragement and hope ya not mad if I write nuthing special and mumble, mumble, mumble...  
  
Anyway, see you soon folks,  
  
R.martin 


	11. What's cooking?

In our lives we hunger for those we cannot touch.  
  
All the thoughts unuttered & all the feelings unexpressed  
  
Play upon our hearts like the mist upon our breath.  
  
But, awoken by grief, our spirits speak  
  
"How could you believe that the life within the seed  
  
that grew arms that reached  
  
And a heart that beat.  
  
And lips that smiled  
  
And eyes that cried.  
  
Could ever die?"  
  
Here come the blue skies Here comes springtime.  
  
When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.  
  
When everything that dies.  
  
Shall rise.  
  
(Excerpt from: The The – Love is stronger than death)  
  
  
  
----------  
  
1 SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 11: What's cooking?  
  
-  
  
Somewhere in the district known as Nerima, not always being as quiet as the first impression might suggest, there was a small house. It was a nondescript building, appearing very much like any of the more residential buildings in the area to the untrained eye. But to the people in the neighborhood this place was special. For contained within its walls was the clinic run by Doctor Tofu, a renowned chiropractic, respected for his skill, loved for his compassion, feared for his antics when it came to a certain Tendo-daughter. To some of the more unusual people inhabiting this area, and considering that this was Nerima those people would be considered absolute freaks anywhere else, the place was even more important. Because there weren't that many places that a werewolf could go if he needed a vaccination against the rabies. Or a Kappa with a bad case of stale water. Would you know where to direct a Tengu who had a mite-problem? Right, Doctor Tofu's clinic, that's the place. But even those valuable, if slightly unorthodox members of the community would have been surprised upon witnessing the current proceedings in the inconspicious building. Not that they actually LOOKED suspicious or anything, mind you. An old woman standing behind a hearth in a small kitchen industriously cooking up something for a nice, young man, who looked on in obvious fascination. What's unusual about that? Okay, so the ingredients did look a little strange, but this is Japanese cuisine after all. But it was the conversation, or rather the lecture of the old woman, that would have raised the eyebrows of possible listeners. Probably over the roof and above.  
  
"… it's important to let the mix cool before adding the ashes, otherwise it might go lumpy and we don't want young Ranma to wake up with warts or, heaven forbid, a hunchback, now do we?"  
  
"Err, no, probably not," the good doctor agreed. He had known for a while now that Mrs. Ichikagawa was something else, especially since that little episode involving his mother, but actually witnessing her preparations to provide a body for a certain homecoming soul had quite an unreal feel to it. The part of him that was the doctor looked on and remarked on the details, taking notes and such. The part of him that was 'good' wondered if what they did here was legal and safe, considering the laws of nature, life and death, and so on. The part of him that had developed from living in Nerima for a couple of years now simply leaned back and watched the show. The part of him that… Whack!  
  
"Huh, what… ?" Doctor Tofu asked, rubbing the sour spot on his scalp where Mrs. Ichikagawa had hit him with that big wooded spoon of hers.  
  
"The ashes. We need the ashes now," the old woman repeated in irritation. She simply hated it when people paid no attention to her. "You didn't forget to get the ashes, did you?"  
  
"You mean if I remembered to sneak into the graveyard in the middle of the night to steal the urn of a former patient of mine, by the way risking my license, my reputation and probably a few years in purgatory?" the doctor asked sarcastically. "Of course I did." He reached under a counter to produce a nondescript knapsack that he set down next to the hearth, producing a telltale ceramic thudding sound as he put it down.  
  
"Ahh, perfect! Now we're cooking," Mrs. Ichikagawa exclaimed with glee as she freed the urn from its prison. Grinning at the doctor, she cast him a questioning look. "Hmm, you don't possess one of those electric mixer- thingies by chance?"  
  
-  
  
In another part of the building, a few doors down the corridor, a certain pigtailed ghost was starting to get a little impatient.  
  
"What's taking them so long?" he asked for the n-th time, pacing back and forth in his assigned waiting-room like some caged animal. "They've been away for HOURS!"  
  
"Patience," an accented voice teased him from the nearby couch. "Tu ne want dem to botch up de body, n'est pas?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Ranma agreed morosely, turning towards the small shadow that lounged on the couch's pillows as if they were his personal throne. "It's just, … now that I decided to finally go through with this whole stuff… I'm suddenly so anxious. It's like I NEED to be able to sense things again. I mean, yeah, I can see, and I hear what people are talking, but that's about all I can do. Never thought it sucks that badly if ya can't touch stuff. Or taste. Man, you can't imagine what I would give to taste one of Kasumi's Sukiyaki again. Hey, I guess I wouldn't even mind one of Akane's 'creations'. And you don't wanna know what THEY taste like. You probably wouldn't even want to know what they SMELL like. Some of her cooking produced the worst stink I ever experienced, but right now I wouldn't mind even that…"  
  
Somehow that remark seemed to amuse Ranma's companion greatly, judging by the chuckling noises he produced.  
  
"Keep that thought," he commented laughing, only to correct himself immediately. "Err,… cete idée..? "   
  
Turning towards the couch, Ranma looked down at the hobby-Frenchman and cocked his head.  
  
"I don't get it…" he remarked with a frown and an accompanying shake of his head.  
  
"What? That comment about the smell?" inquired a surprised looking tomcat, the same one that had provided one half of the conversation all this time. It is a fact considered by few, but all cats are able to talk. Usually they can do it only among themselves, much the same way as humans. But just like humans, some of them are 'special'.  
  
"Yeah, that too…" the pigtailed ghost agreed with a shrug. "But what really confuses me is your accent. You said that everyone who can talk to ghosts can talk to ANY ghost. It doesn't matter if they've been Chinese or Arabs or whatever. Or if they've been humans or cats or birds…"  
  
"'ey, it's true!" the cat protested. "I thought we a'lready establish'd cet."  
  
"Well, then why's the stupid accent?" Ranma demanded to know. "I mean, it's not really necessary, now is it?"  
  
"---" the cat answered, lowering its head.  
  
"Sorry?" the pigtailed ghost asked, "what was that?"  
  
"I said no, it's not," the cat replied grudgingly. "You happy now?"  
  
"Hey, no need to get upset," Ranma replied, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "It's not like I've got a problem with it. I've just been curious."  
  
"Yeah right," the cat pouted back. "I mean, so what if I like to give the words an exotic taste and a little more class? Why's everyone nagging about that, huh? "  
  
"Gee, I already said I'm sorry," the ghost repeated, throwing up his head in exasperation. "I'd never have mentioned it if I'd known you're so … sensitive… about it."  
  
"Sensitive? Sensitive !?" the cat repeated in disbelief. "And that from the guy who got a seizure every time me or my friends showed up. Just you wait till you've got your body again and THEN we can discuss who's sensitive!"  
  
That remark made Ranma start, a thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
"You mean I've got to put up with that stupid phobia again?" he finally asked with a shrug. "Well, I guess I can live with that. After all I managed to live with it before."  
  
"Maybe," the feline replied with a nasty little grin appearing on his face. "But that was before you struck a deal with the head-cat."  
  
-  
  
Back in the kitchen, Mrs. Ichikagawa was just about to put the finishing touches to her creation.  
  
"And now for the main ingredient," she told her companion, holding up a glass for his inspection.  
  
"What's that," Doctor Tofu asked suspiciously, his nose wrinkling at the smell emanating from the yellow liquid contained within.  
  
"A medic of your caliber and you can't tell?" the old woman replied in mock surprise. "Come on doctor, what did I say to you about the rules restricting my powers?"  
  
"Well," the doctor began, a frown creasing his features, "you said that they usually only work with your kin. So in order for them to work on Ranma too, you'll have to add a piece of cat to… the mix… as you called it."  
  
"Very good," the Mrs. Ichikagawa praised, turning back to the big pot that contained the already prepared ingredients, looking more like some strange kind of stew than a body in the making. "Only that you misheard me at one point."  
  
Pouring the smelly yellow liquid into the mix, she began to giggle at her private little joke.  
  
"I never said 'Piece' of cat…"  
  
-  
  
Ranma was mad.  
  
No, he was fuming.  
  
No, he was fuming mad.  
  
No, he was… currently breaking right through the door to the kitchen. Admittedly, he wasn't really breaking through it, considering that his body was insubstantial at the moment. But that door wouldn't have stopped him either way. So let's say that he barged into the kitchen. That word contains less property damage and therefore it should be less confusing too. But we can keep up the statement about him being mad. Because he was, body or no body.  
  
"Hey, what's this thing about cats Pépé's talking 'bout?" he demanded angrily from the old woman that was currently occupied with carrying a big and obviously heavy pot from the hearth to the nearby table.  
  
"Well, hello Ranma, you're right on time," she greeted back, obviously undisturbed by the ghost's fury. "Couldn't wait, hmm?"  
  
That unexpected behavior startled Ranma enough to put him down a peg or two, but he still looked pretty pissed.  
  
"Well yeah,…" he admitted grudgingly before breaking out of it and continuing defiantly. "But I'd still like to know what this talking about you being a cat is about! 'Cause if ya not gonna tell me I'm out of here and you can forget the whole thing!"  
  
Once more Mrs. Ichikagawa didn't appear to be too concerned with Ranma's threatening appearance.  
  
"Now we can't have that," she said in her best grandma-voice, carefully putting the pot down. Removing the thick protective gloves from her hands, she smiled amiably at the impatient ghost, gesturing for him to sit down on a nearby chair.  
  
"I don't know what Pépé told you about me to get you so mad," the old woman began her tale, "so I'm going to tell you the whole story and leave the sorting to you. The truth is, I'm not really a cat. And I'm not really human either." She halted her explanation for a moment, fully expecting Ranma to interrupt her. But seeing the ghost only staring at her blankly, obviously waiting that she got to the point, she continued.  
  
"You see, back when the earth was still young there was enough space for everyone. Humans, wolfs, cats, you name it. Everyone had his private place, his own territory. But mankind grew in numbers, quicker than anyone would have imagined. Not only that, but some of them manifested a strange power. A power they called 'Belief'. The effect of it was that whenever one of those gifted with it believed something hard enough, chances were that it came true. You've seen it for yourself this afternoon. There really are gods. Creatures who solely exist on belief. And they will continue to exist as long as a single one of those gifted still believe that they do. And that too is probably why those gods have been so interested in you. Because you've always been a very strong believer, at least when it came to yourself. Or how do you explain your defeat of the god-king of Phoenix- mountain? There was a lot of belief behind this one, and not only your own." As she spoke those words, she gave Ranma a strange smile, as if expecting him to react to this. Maybe try to deny it. He disappointed her though, knowing pretty well what she was talking about. So the old woman simply continued after another moment of silence.  
  
"Back to the original topic. With the help of those gods, humans began to conquer all of the earth. They dominated the other species, either by taming them or, where that failed, driving them away. Now you might have already noticed, but cats are highly territorial. They wouldn't let themselves be driven off, but there's no chance in hell that anyone succeeds in taming a cat either. Not even the strongest of believers would manage that. But as fighting would have been useless, the cats approached the humans with a deal instead. They said: 'Let us live with you. And in exchange for a warm place and some food, we will keep away the vermin that might threaten your houses and supplies.' And the humans were intrigued by the thought, for they knew that the cats were the best hunters of all. But still they asked: 'This sounds like a good offer, but what guarantees can you give that you won't turn into a worse plague than the mice and the rats?' And the cats said: 'That's simple. All you have to do is believe that we won't. ' And so the deal was made. And what might be more important, that was how humans started to believe in cats. They saw how easily and elegantly the cats dealt with all kinds of vermin, not just the rodents, and soon they assumed that they possessed other skills as well. Like the granting of luck or fertility, or the ability to foresee danger. The skill to communicate with spirits…" she added to the list, directing a meaningful glance at the intently listening ghost.  
  
"But that was when the cats realized that there was a little flaw in their original plan. You see, they had hoped to inspire such beliefs. Actually they had worked towards them, hoping to gain the abilities the human imagination provided them with. But that was not how it worked. For belief might have the power to create, like with those gods. Or it might amplify skills that already exist, like in your case. But it can't turn you into something you're not. Even if you should want it to. So the cats stayed just as they've always been. But among them, something new was created. Something that incorporated those beliefs. The 'Hunters' were born. And they were indeed able to accomplish most of the things that humans expected from cats. Bring down the shadows, ward off the ghosts, change their own shape into human form…"  
  
"… or raise the dead…" Ranma added quietly, realization hitting him like a cold shower.  
  
"Or raise the dead," Mrs. Ichikagawa agreed with a nod.  
  
Staring at her with wide eyes, Ranma muttered a simple word, but it carried all the horror and disgust that could be expected from a Japanese upon realizing Mrs. Ichikagawa's true nature.  
  
"Nekkomata!" he breathed.  
  
"So what if I am?" the old woman replied, irritated by his reaction even if it was not really unexpected. "Do you really think I go around stealing children or seducing husbands? Do you think Doctor Tofu would assist me if I did? I've been protecting this town, this whole area, since as long back as the war. And me and my cats kept true to the deal our ancestors made. We protected the homes and the hearths. You think Nerima is weird? Imagine it without our work. This would be a disaster-area with all those mystical creatures and spirits and whatnot it attracts! Why do you think the people accepted your curse so easily in this area, huh? Because this place is already full of magic, and it's our job to keep it under control…" With her anger obviously vented, Mrs. Ichikagawa deflated considerably, her true age showing for the first today. Gone was the energy she had displayed during the preparations or her heated speech. Instead she looked tired, spent, and very, very old.  
  
"You see, " she explained softly towards the dumbfounded ghost, "a lot of the bad publicity is of a rather recent date. Not more than four hundred years I think. And we're so much older than that. Not me personally, mind you. Even though I sometimes feel like I am. And you know Ranma," Mrs. Ichikagawa asked as she looked up at the dumbfounded ghost with sad eyes, "I won't make it much longer. I can feel the time coming when I have to leave this place. But there's no one of my kind available to take over. And that's basically why I need you. To replace me."  
  
"I… I don't know…" Ranma stammered, completely confused by the concept. "I mean, I don't mind that part about protecting people and all, but… but… me leading a bunch of cats?"  
  
"Ranma, Ranma…" Mrs. Ichikagawa admonished him softly, "believe it or not, but you've been part cat ever since you crawled back out of that pit your stupid father threw you into. Strange as it sounds, that's the only reason I can make you this offer at all. I know that this won't be easy for you. But look at the bright side. Once you manage to get rid of your fear, you'll be part of one big family. And you like having a family, don't you?"  
  
"Well yeah," the ghost admitted uneasily, not completely convinced yet. "But,… but I don't know if I really want to become some Ne… Nekko… Nekkomata."  
  
"If that's all," the old woman replied, brightening up a bit. "I couldn't turn you into one of us even if I wanted to. You won't become a Nekkomata, Ranma. Whatever you'll become, I guarantee that it will be completely unique."  
  
"Well, I still don't know if that's really comforting," Ranma replied cautiously, scratching the back of his head. But then he looked at Mrs. Ichikagawa's pleading face and Doctor Tofu's confused but hopeful expression and his own features brightened too. "But hey, my school's not called 'Anything Goes' for nothing. So… what do I have to do?"  
  
-  
  
Meanwhile in another part of the same town. In another building that was not half as innocent as it appeared to the uninitiated. A building with an adjacent Dojo. Quelle surprise, as Pépé might say.  
  
Everyone was long asleep, mainly because of the late hour. Everyone except for three girls that shared a single room. That made for a very cramped setting, even for Japanese conditions, but considering that they had to bear with it only for one night, none of the girls complained. Not too much anyway.  
  
"… and then he tried to explain to Auntie Nodoka what he was doing there, wearing her underwear and everything." Akane was currently recounting one of Ranma's more embarrassing adventures. "I mean, every other guy would probably have died from embarrassment and he tried to convince her that it was for a school-play. I almost died laughing."  
  
"Yeah, I remember that one," Ukyou piped in. "Wasn't that the day he tried to convince Mousse that the only reason Shampoo's attracted to him was because of those mints he allegedly took?"  
  
"Yep," Akane confirmed. "And Moose ran around all day buying every pack of every brand of mints in Tokyo. And I think he ate them too. He was actually stinking of peppermint for weeks."  
  
"And Shampoo refused to come near him for the hole time," Ukyou added laughing. "Proved she was allergic to the stuff."  
  
"I can hardly believe that all this was only a month ago," Kodachi remarked quietly, her unexpected comment cooling the easy mood that had been established between the other two girls. She had been silent for the longest time, only listening to the conversation but hardly taking part in it.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ukyou agreed sadly, her cheerfulness suddenly gone. "It's been what? Ten days since his death?"  
  
"Nine," Kodachi corrected her plainly, for once not sounding like an arrogant 'know-it all'.  
  
"Nine days, and I've still got problems to accept it," the young chef sighed. "I've been to the funeral, I even met his ghost, but still…"  
  
"… it's so unreal." Kodachi finished the sentence for her.  
  
"Ahem, girls?" Akane suddenly spoke up cautiously, making herself heard for the first time since the change of topic. "I guess there's something I ought to tell you…"  
  
-  
  
Nabiki almost fell out of her bed when the shouting started. Sleepily she turned over glancing at the watch on the nightstand. 3:17. This was no good. But what could you expect when you locked those three up in one room. Whose idea had that been anyway? Oh, right, her own. She had not wanted to share her own room with Kodachi. But that was no reason to disturb her sleep. Nope, no reason at all. Grabbing the nearest heavy object, which happened to be her alarm-clock, she bashed it into the wall repeatedly. For some mysterious reason, the shouting stopped immediately.  
  
"Ah," Nabiki sighed contently. "Much better."  
  
And with that she rolled over again, returning to her precious sleep.  
  
-  
  
"Will you keep it down," Akane hissed at the hysterical girls, "you're waking the whole house."  
  
"But… but…" her two roommates stammered almost synchronous.  
  
"Shhht…" Akane insisted, mysteriously managing to actually silence the frenzied girls. Well, maybe the manic knock coming from the wall to Nabikis room helped with that too.  
  
"Gee," she muttered once the room was quiet again. "If I'd known you'd take it that bad, I'd kept my big mouth shut."  
  
"W… What did you expect…" Ukyou complained, though in a much lower volume.  
  
"… after telling us that Ranma not only possessed you …" Kodachi added from her side of the room.  
  
"… to keep you from trying to kill yourself…" Ukyou continued without pause.  
  
"… which would be pretty dumb…" Kodachi took over.  
  
"… because he said he'd come back anyway?!" both finished in perfect harmony.  
  
"Dunno," Akane replied a little awkwardly. "Simply thought you'd like to know."  
  
-  
  
The moon stood full and proud in the clear night-sky, casting a silver- light over the urban landscape of Tokyo. It wasn't filtered by the usual smog for once, this being one of the few benefits of the recent storm. And with the soft white light reflecting from thousands of still wet roofs and trees and other objects populating the skyline, the whole place seemed to be bathed in an almost magical aura. Dark shadows and brilliant highlights, complementing and accentuating one another. Like Ying and Yang. Like Life and Death. Love and Hate. Sweet and Sour. Ukyou and Kodachi…  
  
'Ah man, not again' Kinyou thought sourly. 'Didn't want to go THERE again.'  
  
In Kinyou's case, THERE was the topic of two certain girls he knew. The problem was that he kind of liked them both, but it looked just like the two of them shared a longstanding animosity towards each other. That was sad but Kinyou wasn't exactly surprised about it either. They both had a completely different background, a completely differing temper but exactly the same guy as love-interest. No reason that they should have ended up as friends. Admittedly they did have some similarities too. Like a competitive nature, martial-arts and a knack for getting obsessed about their hobbies. Not that those helped with the whole situation. Anyway, Kinyou would have preferred to forget about all this for a while, mostly because his meanwhile swirling thoughts had kept him from sleep for hours now. That was the reason why he had come out on the veranda at this late hour, for a smoke and hopefully a little distraction.  
  
"You're not really working today, do ya?" he asked the tight roll of tobacco and, err, 'selected herbs' in his hand, holding it up for inspection.  
  
"What didn't work," a voice suddenly asked from right behind him.  
  
"Err… nothing," Kinyou exclaimed nervously as he turned to face the newcomer while trying to hide the smoke behind his back. After all he had recognized the voice as belonging to the landlord, and that special brand of people usually took no liking in anyone who consumed the dried leafs of the 'Canabis India' in their backyard.  
  
Mr. Tendo didn't seem convinced by Kinyou's forced looking innocent smile, but he didn't comment on it. Instead he simply sat down next to the boy, producing a pack of cigarettes from the folds his gi.  
  
"Aren't you a little young to start smoking?" he asked offhandedly while lighting his own smoke.  
  
"Actually… no," Kinyou replied, relaxing a little as the man didn't seem suspicious as to what exactly he was consuming. "I mean, I'm almost of age and Uncle Toei doesn't mind either. And it does help me calm down after a day like that."  
  
"Yes," Soun agreed with a slight nod and a hearty puff of smoke, "I'd imagine it might help with that."  
  
They sat there for some time in contemplating silence, just watching out into the night while producing little clouds over their heads. But finally Soun came up with the real reason that had him looking for the ghost- talking boy at this late hour.  
  
"Where do souls go?" he asked out of the blue while watching a particularly even ring of smoke encircle the moon's image.  
  
"Excuse me..?" Kinyou asked, not having much paid attention to his silent companion.  
  
"When someone dies," Soun explained thoughtfully, "and doesn't stay behind like… a ghost for instance. Where do they go?"  
  
"Dunno," Kinyou admitted with a shrug while turning to get a better look at his host. "Heaven, Hell, Nirvana… Whatever they believed in I guess. Why you're asking?"  
  
Soun didn't answer this, instead he came up with a new question.  
  
"And if someone wishes to wait, but doesn't want to become a ghost…" he asked in the same thoughtful voice as before. "Is that possible?"  
  
"Well… yes," the boy agreed, a little confused by the direction the conversation was steered into. "There's always the choice to take up minor jobs in the bureaucracy up there. They seem to be always looking for someone to cart the folders around and stuff like that. You know, odd jobs and stuff."  
  
"Make themselves useful?" Soun inquired with a strange little smile as he stared off into the distance.  
  
"Something like that," Kinyou agreed with another shrug.  
  
"Good," was all Soun replied before he snipped his cigarette simply into the garden and rose to his feet. As he prepared to return into the house he looked down at the youth one last time, a relieved smile on his face.  
  
"You see," he told the confused boy, "my late wife never had much patience when it came to idly sitting around. But as long as she's got a chance to keep herself busy, I know that she'll be there when my time comes. So thank you, Mr. Juusan, for this little piece of information means quite a lot to me."  
  
And with that he vanished into the hallway's shadows, leaving behind a still confused, but also strangely alleviated Kinyou.  
  
"You're welcome…" he whispered after the retreating form before returning to his smoke. And this time his thoughts were not on any troublesome girls.  
  
-  
  
"Bleah!" Ranma exclaimed with disdain showing quite obviously on his face. "You want me to step into THIS?!"  
  
He gestured at the slimy, ominously bubbling contents of the big pot currently resting on the table in the center of the room. His reaction shouldn't be that surprising, considering that the only time he ever saw a 'stew' as even half as threatening as this one was after one of Akane's cooking-sessions.  
  
"I mean, what the hell is this stuff?"  
  
"Do you want the recipe?" Mrs. Ichikagawa asked nonchalantly, looking at his exasperated expression with a smirk.  
  
"Not really," Ranma replied with a shudder. "To tell the truth, I don't even want to hear what went in there in the first place."  
  
"Only the most healthy of ingredients," the old woman assured him. The soothing effect was somehow spoiled by Doctor Tofu's sudden coughing fit in the background. She ignored it though as she continued. "This fine dish contains everything a healthy body needs. Nutrients, vitamins, minerals… you name it. It's all in there. And in high enough amounts to create a new body for you. That's why I call it 'primal soup'," she finished with a proud smile, "because new life springs from it."  
  
"Primal Soup?" the pigtailed ghost asked, showing a complete lack of understanding. "What kind of stupid name is that?"  
  
Mrs. Ichikagawa just looked at him blankly, before letting out an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Never mind," she told him, not letting herself being bothered by his ignorance. "Just step in and let's get over with it."  
  
"Oooo-kay," Ranma agreed drawn-out as he jumped onto the table. Raising one foot, he cautiously lowered it again into the strange concoction.  
  
"Hey, this tickles," he exclaimed in surprise as his foot sank into the fluid.  
  
"Trust me," the old woman assured him from down by the table, "it's going to do more than simply… tickle…"  
  
-  
  
Poor Ryoga.  
  
There he was, a small black piglet almost squashed to death by a surprisingly strong girl against her surprisingly muscular bosom. That wasn't why Ryoga was a poor little piglet. Actually, this was tonight's only gracing feature, even though his current situation did make breathing rather difficult. No, the reason why this little black piglet and sometimes twice cursed martial artist should be called 'poor' was his terminally confused state of mind.  
  
Akane tried to kill herself?  
  
RANMA was coming back!  
  
Akane tried to KILL herself?  
  
Ranma was coming back?!  
  
Akane tried to…  
  
You get the drift, don't you?  
  
The most confusing feature of that line of thought though, at least in Ryoga's eyes, wasn't actually the fact of his former love-interests attempted suicide. He had secretly feared that she might try something desperate like that for some time now. And it wasn't his dual-function best friend and arch-enemy's impending resurrection either. Actually, considering all they'd been through over the last couple of years he wouldn't be too surprised if something happened along those lines. Remember Saffron's little stunt? Well, Ranma was always quick in picking up tricks like that. Anyway, strange as it sounded, but Ryoga was kind of glad to hear about this too. More than that, he was happy, exhilarated even. But that was exactly the problem. Ranma would be back. Alive or undead, there was no doubt about what Akane would do once she got her hands on him. Talk about family-planning, why don't ya. And for some inexplicable reasons, Ryoga was happy about it. Happy about his worst rival snatching away the girl that still held a considerable portion of his heart, even from beyond the grave. And thus making him mar his poor widdle brain trying to figure out as to why exactly that was.  
  
Poor confused little Ryoga indeed.  
  
-  
  
A new morning was dawning and the rising sun dared a first cautious peek across the rooftops of a waking Nerima. Down by the Tendo residence, the first risers made their presence known. To tell the truth, they were more like the second risers. The first riser had been Kasumi, as always, and it was pretty unlikely that she was the source of all the moaning and cursing. As if to prove that theory, the eldest daughter of the Tendo household was currently calling out joyfully at the sleepyheads coming down the stairs.  
  
"Good morning everyone," she hailed from the kitchen. "Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes."  
  
"Hmm-mm" came a muffled reply that she recognized as coming from her youngest sister.  
  
"Mornin Kasumi," another voice greeted tiredly, easily identified as belonging to Ukyou.  
  
"A good morning to you too Kasumi-san," a third one called out, obviously trying hard to sound regal but failing miserably due to the sleepy way in which the words were muttered. No doubt Kodachi was the source of this one.  
  
Listening closely, Kasumi heard three pairs of feet shuffle towards the bathroom and entering in single file. Smiling at the thought of those three girls sharing a bath more or less peacefully, she returned to her preparations.  
  
'Who knows' she mused wistfully as she poured the hot water for the tea, 'maybe everything will work out in the end.' Halting in her chores, she looked out of the window towards the general direction of a certain clinic.  
  
'I only hope that Ono knows what he's doing.'  
  
-  
  
Currently the good doctor was asking himself the same question. Once he wasn't screaming or running around the room like a scared chicken that is.  
  
"Whaa, please don't...! Nooo, let go of...! Ouch, that hurt! No, no, no, not the… Aaaargh!!"  
  
Screams like that and worse, as well as the sounds of breaking glass, tearing fabric and thumping bodies rang out from the usually quiet clinic and across the slowly awakening neighborhood.  
  
---  
  
Author's notes: Yes, yes, yes. I cut the knot, I sorted the strands, and now I can finally start to weave the new pattern. Such a nice pattern, such bright colors, (giggle) ... Hey Kinyou, gimme dat smoke back, will ya?  
  
(12 hours, 3 liters of coffee and 2 Aspirin later)  
  
Waargh, I'm not sure if it's wise to sit behind the keyboard with a head like that, but here I go.  
  
Hey Saggit. You're right about one thing. The last chapter was a little 'off'. But to tell the truth, I had to do it that way. I'm not exactly what you can call a very disciplined author. I need my distractions once in a while. But, hey, they worked for Brecht, so why not for me. But who knows, maybe I will make it a side-story in a later edition. Oh, and thanks for the 'Haynie' comparison. I think it's flattering.  
  
On to Iija. Tell me, could it be that I'm developing some kind of cliffhanger-fixation? I hope not. Anyway, about Kodachi. I don't know how strong exactly she is, but considering she's a Neriman Martial artist (TM), carrying some scrawny youth around shouldn't pose her a problem.  
  
Next are the two 'Kim's. Hey guys, you're not related, are you? Err, Peter, seems the Japanese Pantheon's got other plans with our favorite ghost. After all, they DID send a message to encourage him, didn't they? And Daniel... Don't make me go there! Not another engagement! (Hmmm, got a ring to it though. Maybe next fic?)  
  
Concerning Mrs. Tendo's name... She's called Kimiko in a lot of fics, but there's no official version so I simply skipped that part. I'm messing up characters enough already. :-)  
  
Oh, and Sir, Commander Galos, Sir! Reporting correction Sir! That wasn't Quetzalcoatl but his younger stepbrother Quetzaquatl. Sorry about the confusion Sir! But it happens a lot with those two.  
  
Back to the civil readership. He, he, Notenchi, knew that you'd like that. How? I'm all-knowing, that's why... whahahaha. ( Gee, seems like I've got to take those purple pills again...)  
  
And last but not least... I do, I do Ryo Angel, and thanks for the praise.  
  
That includes all of you guys.  
  
Until next week,  
  
R. Martin 


	12. A new pet

We´re so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully  
  
Wonderfully pretty  
  
Oh you know that I´d do anything for you  
  
We should have each other to tea huh?  
  
We should have each other with cream  
  
Then curl up by the fire  
  
And sleep for awhile  
  
It´s the grooviest thing  
  
It´s the perfect dream  
  
-  
  
Hand in hand  
  
Is the only way to land  
  
And always the right way round  
  
Not broken in pieces  
  
Like hated little meeces  
  
How could we miss  
  
Someone as dumb as this  
  
-  
  
(Excerpt from: The Cure – Lovecats)  
  
----------  
  
1 SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 12: A New Pet  
  
-  
  
Breakfast at the Tendo-residence was seldom a time for quiet contemplation, especially not since the Saotomes had come to live there. Admittedly, the two ever-hungry males were gone now, one back to his wife and the other… more permanently gone. Theoretically at least. But in their stead there was a colorful crowd indulging in the Tendo's hospitality today.  
  
One of those was Hibiki Ryoga, currently looking more like something the cat dragged in than a promising martial-artist in his prime. He had a blank look in his eyes as well as prominent bags beneath them. The food he was eating rather mechanically was almost falling out of his mouth again as his jaw was more busy hanging slack than actually chewing. All in all he wasn't a tasteful sight to behold but then again, nobody paid him much attention anyway.  
  
Except Nabiki of course. Actually, the middle Tendo-daughter had spent a lot of her time on and with the fanged boy lately, not that anybody fell for the idiotic idea of those two having anything remotely romantic going on. That notion was just too weird, even for Nerima. But it was safe to assume that she would satisfy her obvious curiosity about Ryoga's state the first change she got. Probably by milking him for all he was worth.  
  
Next to the attentive girl sat a slightly more ignorant one, namely her little sister. Akane sat at the table slightly slumped and looking mostly asleep. She picked uncoordinatedly at her food, sometimes managing to maneuver it to her mouth, sometimes not. It was save to say that she hadn't gotten too much sleep lately.  
  
She wasn't the only one, judging by the looks of the other two girls that had shared her room last night. Ukyou seemed ready to slump face first into her rice and the only reason Kodachi seemed still upright was that she leaned with her back to the wall. Her eyes though were half-lidded and she hadn't taken a sip from the tea she held close to her mouth for at least five minutes.  
  
Between those two sat a certain Ghost-Talker, his ever-present baseball-cap securely on his head. The boy didn't seem sleepy as such, but not open for business either. Judging by his grimaces and the low moans he emitted every time he chewed, he was currently indulging himself in a nice, old-fashioned headache.  
  
The only ones looking chipper at the table were Kasumi, no surprise there, and her father Soun. Now that would have raised an eyebrow or two if those damn things weren't as heavy as lead for the majority of those attending. So no one commented on the contend grin the patriarch wore nor the unusual light spring in his step as he moved towards his habitual place. He even hummed while he did so, something he hadn't done for years. Only Kasumi seemed to notice this, but if she did, she didn't comment on it.  
  
And so the breakfast went by without incidents. Maybe painfully slow. Scarily quiet for sure. But without incidents.  
  
-  
  
"Akane?" Kasumi called out from the kitchen once she heard her youngest sister return from the hallway where she had seen her visitors off.  
  
"Yes Kasumi?" the girl replied, a little more lively than her conduct at the breakfast table might have suggested, but only by a slim margin.  
  
Stepping into the living room, the older girl wiped her hands on her apron as she eyed her sister concernedly.  
  
"Are you feeling well?" she asked cautiously. "You look a little faint."  
  
"Only a little?" Akane replied with a weak smirk. "Then who was the messed up garbage heap I saw in the mirror?"  
  
"Akane…!" Kasumi exclaimed scandalized, a hand shooting up to cover her mouth. Upon her sister's not really unexpected reaction, the offending girl simply shrugged and grinned ruefully.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that," she said, "guess my language's not up to standards either."  
  
The older girl seemed to accept the apology at face value, brightening up considerably even though she still looked concerned about her sisters condition.  
  
"It's okay Akane," she said, sounding strangely regretful herself. "Sometimes I suspect that I'm simply a little too old-fashioned. But back to the reason why I called for you. I wanted to ask you if you could return a book to Doctor Tofu for me. Of course only if you have nothing more important to do…"  
  
"A book?" Akane asked curiously, a knowing smile tucking up one corner of her lips. "Still up to your old tricks, are you?"  
  
"Akane!" Kasumi exclaimed, scandalized for the second time today. Though if the blush was any indication, the younger girl hadn't hit too far off the mark.  
  
"Hey, it's okay," Akane reassured her embarrassed sister, putting a soothing hand on her shoulder. "After all the good Doctor IS quite a catch. You could do worse." The last statement she accentuated with a wink that managed to enforce the blush on her sisters cheeks.  
  
"Akane…" Kasumi repeated pleadingly, looking surprisingly helpless considering her usually unshakeable character.  
  
"Alright, alright," Akane conceded laughing, letting the topic drop and thus her sister off the hook. "I'm going, okay?"  
  
"Yes!," Kasumi thanked her maybe a bit too enthusiastically. And obviously she noticed this herself for something akin to a guilty expression flashed across her face. Something one would rather expect on a small child that had been caught with one hand in the cookie-jar. But she quickly covered her lapse and continued in a much calmer voice.  
  
"I… I guess I'll better get you the book then." She said, gesturing upstairs towards her room. "I'll be right back."  
  
"Ooo-kaay…!" the younger girl replied cautiously as she watched her usually composed sister virtually storm up the stairs. She knew that something was fishy here, that realization didn't require a genius. But whatever Kasumi's secret intentions, Akane knew that it could be nothing that was intended to hurt her. And either way, she had her own reasons to go and see the Doctor. Maybe ask him about a certain meeting yesterday. Or one of his patients. What was the name again? Mrs. Icky… Itchy… Ah yes, Ichikagawa.  
  
Definitely ask him about Mrs. Ichikagawa.  
  
-  
  
After taking their leave, the three youths that had spend the night at the Tendo's made their way through an early morning Nerima. The streets they walked were only sparsely populated, that with the commuters already on their way to work while the kids enjoying the spring-break that had started this week, most likely by still occupying their beds. Only a couple of housewives were visible in the vicinity. Some sweeping the sidewalks, some probably on their way to shop for groceries.  
  
But while the scenery was almost too calm for this particular spot on the Japanese map, the same couldn't be said for the teenage trio. Not that they argued or anything like that. Quite to the contrary. All three of them walked in absolute silence. But it wasn't one of the companionable variety. More along the line of a nervous tension. At least when it came to the two girls who walked on either side of a certain guy named Kinyou. For he looked more like he was rather lost in a world of his own and snapped only back to reality when his companions suddenly stopped at a street corner.  
  
"It seems our ways part here," he heard Kodachi say with a strange mix of regret and relief in her voice.  
  
"Looks like it," Ukyou agreed matter-of-factly. She didn't really look all too concerned about it.  
  
Understandably Kinyou had only a rough idea about the layout of Nerima, but he figured that they were somewhere halfway between the restaurant and the Kuno estate. So he turned towards Kodachi,, a questioning look on his face.  
  
"You're leaving already," he asked slightly surprised. Not that he had a reason to be. The idea that she would return home immediately had somehow simply not crossed his mind.  
  
"Yes," the girl replied with while glancing over his shoulders. "I'm positive that it would be appreciated if I return to the mansion and see the damage of yesterday's struggle taken care of."  
  
"I'm sure that's a great idea," Ukyou agreed meaningfully from behind his back.  
  
"Oh, okay," Kinyou replied a little hesitantly. "Well, I guess it's goodbye then. But I hope we gonna run across one another again eventually. "  
  
"Who knows," Kodachi replied, directing her gaze towards the boy and smiling mysteriously, "maybe we will."  
  
Before Kinyou had a chance to blush or stutter, a tap on his shoulder saved him from embarrassing himself either way.  
  
"Kinyou, would you please advance to the restaurant without me?" Ukyou asked from behind him. "I'd like to have a word with Kodachi here."  
  
Kinyou looked a little surprised as he turned towards her.  
  
"But why…" he began to inquire only to be shut up by a fierce "Alone".  
  
It didn't take a genius to realize that a little girl-talk was going to take place and it would only earn him a nomination for the 'Darwin-Award' if he insisted to stay. So he did what the famous English scientist meant when he talked about the 'Survival of the Fittest'. He hit the road before the shit hit the fan.  
  
-  
  
Walking up to the clinic, Akane heard strange sounds coming out of the low building. There was a clattering noise and the sound of running feet and… cursing? The voice had been that of the good doctor, but Akane had problems imagining anything that might make the notoriously good-natured man swear. He was about as unlikely to do something like that as , let's say, Kasumi.  
  
Trying the door and finding it unlocked, Akane let curiosity lead her through the hallway and towards the source of the noise. She found it in a room facing out towards the backyard. Usually this was the doctor's living- room. At the moment it looked more like a battlefield. A battlefield with a panting casualty lying amidst a debris-strewn floor.  
  
"Just… you… wait… until… I… get… my… breath… back…" she heard the black- clad heap wheeze, his head limply turning towards a far corner of the room. His announcement got answered by a low whine coming from that direction. Its source though was invisible thanks to a toppled cabinet lying in the way.  
  
"Doctor?" Akane called cautiously from where she stood by the door. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Who…?" the prone figure called out, completely taken by surprise by the newcomer. But as his head finally made it above his waistline, his features brightened considerably.  
  
"Oh good, it's you Akane!" he exclaimed, struggling to get up in a sitting position. "Maybe you can…"  
  
Whatever she might be able to do in the doctor's opinion was left unsaid, because whatever hid in the darkness of the corner chose this moment to jump the girl standing in the doorway. Like a raging shadow it came over her, all claws and fangs and eyes blazing with the unholy fires of madness.  
  
-  
  
"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about in private?" Kodachi asked once Kinyou had vanished behind the next corner.  
  
"What do you think?" Ukyou replied flatly, gracing her companion with a questioning look.  
  
"It wouldn't by any chance concern the one member of our happy little circle that you just sent along the way?" the sometimes crazy but never truly stupid gymnast concluded quite correctly.  
  
"Bullseye," Ukyou asserted simply, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You see, I don't know if you've got anything planned with him, but just that you know, he IS a friend of mine. I won't stand by idly if you pull any of those stunts you tried with Ranma. Kinyou's no martial-artists. He can't take the same kind of abuse. So you better watch it or else…"  
  
"My, my," Kodachi chuckled mockingly. "Don't we feel a little overprotective today? And why is that? You do realize that he is not exactly the kind of boy I 'usually' prefer to sink my 'poisonous' fangs into…"  
  
"Dunno," Ukyou replied, her eyes narrowing to thin slits. "Call it female intuition. Though I guess that in your case it's more a matter of bad experiences."  
  
"I rather guess that in your case it is more a bad habit," the other girl retorted in a dangerously low voice. "Always vigilant, always prepared. Ukyou Kuonji, defender of truth and justice. That's you, isn't it? But you shouldn't have to rack your righteous mind about it. After all that happened recently…" she shook her head and a serious expression appeared on her face, though her eyes never left Ukyou's"… I doubt that 'anyone' around here needs 'any' more romantic entanglements."  
  
They both engaged in a nice, old-fashioned glaring-contest for a while. But though they both tried real hard, this usually fun pastime somehow failed to hold their interest for long. Almost simultaneously they both girls harrumphed and looked away, each suddenly finding some unbelievably interesting spots in the distance.  
  
"Well, now that you know where I stand," Ukyou finally stated, looking everywhere but at her companion. "I guess I should go home. After all I've got a guest to attend to."  
  
"Yes, you better be going then." Kodachi agreed with a thoughtful nod. "But Miss Kuonji…?"  
  
"What…?" Ukyou replied, her head finally swiveling back towards the other girl at the sudden formality.  
  
"Kinjou may not be the type of guy I usually favor," the gymnast explained. "But lately I find myself wondering if that is a fault or a boon… And if I should decide on the latter, don't expect me to ask for YOUR permission to see him."  
  
"We'll see about that," the young chef declared before parting with a final glare and stomping towards her home.  
  
So that that arrogant scion of the once great madhouse of Kuno thought she could get away with swindling her way into Kinyou's trust? Playing nice- nice until she got what she wanted? Which was probably causing as much damage as possible before throwing him to the dogs. Not bloody likely as long as Ukyou was on guard. He was HER friend after all, and she would save him from that crazy woman's clutches. Whether he wanted her to or not!  
  
-  
  
'Gee, I wonder what's it with those two,' Kinyou mused uselessly as he walked down the street. Like most men before him, and most likely the majority of those still waiting to be born yet, he had a slight problem with figuring out what exactly made women tick.  
  
Take Ukyou for example. He had come to know her as an easygoing person. Someone who doesn't make mortal enemies easily. But some of the looks she gave Kodachi spoke of shallow graves in someone's backyard.  
  
And the 'Botany-Babe' herself seemed to consider pruning a certain someone into the Bonsai-version of an Okonomiyaki-chief.  
  
The strange thing was that this enmity seemed to be rooted in their common pursue of Ranma. Who was de facto no longer available. Even IF he managed to come back somehow. After all it was pretty prominent that he had already made his choice. And that choice was this Tendo-girl, Akane. So logically she should be the one considered 'Prime-Evil', right?  
  
But both of the other girls had acted rather decently around her. None of those glares and snide-remarks they graced each other with. Actually, all three of them seemed to have enjoyed the little sleepover last night to some degree. Even if they pretty obviously hadn't gotten much sleep there.  
  
So what was it with then, if not the rivalry for first place in the Saotome- Competition? Still struggling for the silver-medal or what? After all it was pretty unlikely that they would be fighting because of…  
  
Kinyou stopped his stride and looked speculatively at a shop's window he was just passing by. A boy, almost a man now, looked back at him. He was of a rather nondescript appearance for a Japanese male, once you discounted the dark coat and the cap at least. Average size, average build, average dark hair of medium length. Average face. Nothing that might make the girls swoon. Probably nothing that would make them notice him in the first place. Definitely nothing to make two of them bitch over him.  
  
"Yeah, keep on dreaming," he told the reflection. "As if even one girl would be interested in you."  
  
Or maybe it was the reflection saying those words to him. Who knows? Mirrors are tricky after all. Because they might be unable to lie, but they still always present things the wrong way around.  
  
-  
  
"Is she going to be alright?" Akane asked worriedly as she kneeled by the cat she had laid out. She hadn't planned to do that. It had simply been a panic-reaction when the big feline had jumped her like that. The gods knew what had made her use her trusty mallet against a simply frightened pet in the first place. But then again, judging by how Kinyou had described the last bunch of celestial entities that had made an appearance lately, they would probably be just as clueless about her motives as she was herself.  
  
"She?" asked a confused Doctor Tofu who was currently checking said cat for damage. Looking from the relatively big pet to the girl and back, a small grin appeared on his face. "It's a good thing HE can't hear you at the moment. As far as I remember HE's pretty touchy about his gender."  
  
"Oh come on," Akane replied a little peeved. "Next thing you're telling me is that this cat's got a Jusenkyu-curse too."  
  
This earned her a strange look from the doctor, something along the lines of surprise and uncertainty. But the strange expression was quickly replaced with one of professional care as he continued to tend to the cat.  
  
"Of course not," he agreed in a guarded voice, his attention apparently solely on the work at hand. "He's got a lot of other issues though."  
  
"I'd say," Akane agreed as she let her eyes travel across the devastated room. "What happened here anyway? Did this cat really do all the damage?"  
  
"Yup," the doctor confirmed simply. "And that's nothing compared to what he did to the kitchen. It looks like a bomb struck in there."  
  
"Really?" the girl, who had more than once been called 'Kitchen-Destroyer' herself, asked in mild interest. "Well, maybe you should get him neutered. That's supposed to make them more balanced, isn't it?"  
  
Once more the doctor graced her with a strange look, only that this one held some incredulous mirth whose basis completely escaped her.  
  
"It probably would," he agreed in a way that was just short of laughing out loud. "Though it would be a shame, really. That little bugger IS supposed to continue a family-line after all…"  
  
-  
  
After cleaning up the mess in the room, mainly by pushing the debris into a corner and setting up the overturned chairs again, Doctor Tofu went into the kitchen to prepare some tea while Akane continued to tend to the cat.  
  
She sat at the table, the whimpering animal curled up in her lap. It was indeed a big animal, for a domestic feline at least. Well, not big as in 'Panther' or 'Tiger'. More like in 'You're sure that's not a dog?'. Though judging by the damage it had caused, the difference might as well be purely academic.  
  
The living mousetrap felt surprisingly heavy in Akane's lap too, even though that didn't pose much in the line of discomfort for the martial- artist. It also had a dark, silky coat of fur the likes the girl had never seen on any specimen of it's kind. Mainly it was of a dark, matted gray, almost anthracite, with equally dark auburn markings that shined with highlights. Here in the bright light of the sun shining through the window, the cat almost appeared like it was made of glowing coals. Pulsing not only from the shallow breaths it took, but from an inner fire too.  
  
The hair of the fur was relatively short like with most domestic cats, except for on its head and down along the spine to the ever twitching tail. It almost look like a lion's mane, except for the black color with interspersed strands of auburn and the lack of a 'beard'.  
  
All in all it was a beautiful animal and Akane understood why the good doctor wasn't interested in her prior suggestion. The cat was probably of a rare breed, and therefore expensive. Though the girl wondered idly when the usually modest doctor had started to take an interest in cat breeding.  
  
-  
  
Returning from the kitchen, Doctor Tofu put down the tray with the refreshments on the table and poured a cup for his visitor. Placing it in front of her he cast a contemplative glance at the feline on her lap. The cat glanced back at him, seemingly half scared and half ready to rip out his throat. It didn't make a move though, except for a warning hiss and a little scuttling motion closer to the girl that held him.  
  
"There, there," Akane placated the nervous cat, scuttling it up in her arms to hug its body protectively to her chest while the head came to rest pressed to her cheek.  
  
While it shouldn't be said that this gesture really calmed the cat, at least it changed the nature of the excitement fundamentally. Though none of the attending humans noticed, that with its face towards Akane's back.  
  
-  
  
It had taken her a surprisingly long time, but finally Nabiki managed to corner Ryoga as he practiced in the backyard. Ever since breakfast she had been simply burning to interrogate her 'little black bug' but somehow he had always managed to evade her. That wasn't necessarily on purpose in the lost-boy's case, but it didn't necessarily brighten her mood either.  
  
"So, speak up. What did Sis' spill last night?" she asked rather directly as they settled down in their by now habitual place behind the dojo.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" was his mocking reply, complete with a lopsided grin that effortlessly managed to rise her ire.  
  
"Of course I do!" she shot back, glaring at him because of his, at least in her eyes , arrogant demeanor. What did the idiot think he was doing. Try to mess with her on her own turf by playing mind-games? No way mister.  
  
"Listen Ryoga," she warned in a low voice. "I think we have a very simple agreement. You're telling me whatever you pick up while you're playing my sister's pet and in return I LET you stay my sister's pet. So if you don't want to risk a warm shower in an inappropriate moment you better own up NOW."  
  
Somehow neither her glare nor her hardly veiled threat managed to break the cursed boy's composure though. Instead he simply continued to give her that lopsided grin, his gaze seemingly scrutinizing her thoughtfully.  
  
"It's funny," he finally said almost conversationally, "it's not like the girls kept the volume down last night. You should have heard them from your room anyway."  
  
"Maybe, if I would have stayed up." Nabiki retorted, though still managing to reign in her irritation. "But for some stupid reason I TRUSTED some PIG to substitute for me while I tried to get at least some semblance of sleep."  
  
"YOU trusted someone?" Ryoga asked in mock surprise. "Come on Nabiki, you're trusting no one. You simply believe to be in control most of the time. There's a difference."  
  
"So what?" the girl challenged, not even trying to disagree with his assessment. After all he was not only right about that fact, but she was actually proud of her skills in steering people towards her own ends too. "Whether I trust in people's goodwill or in a little 'convincing' to get what I need, the results are the same. I always get what I want."  
  
"True, you usually do," the fanged boy replied not all that impressed. "But maybe, one day, you'll end up getting what you deserve."  
  
That made Nabiki's eyes grow wide at first, but soon they changed to twin, angry slits that bore directly into the fanged-boy's face.  
  
"What's that," she growled at him. "Are you trying to threaten me?"  
  
"No," Ryoga disagreed calmly. "I'm not. I'm only giving you a friendly hint. You're a logical person. Deep down, you believe that you can predict every outcome of every possible situation. And therefore you don't bother with liabilities. Like trust or believe. And it usually works for you, doesn't it? The only problem is that some folks just won't play by your rules. They do stuff that you might never have considered possible. And that's when they catch you unprepared. That's a pretty big hole in your defense, you know. And you ain't got no one to cover up for you when that happens."  
  
"Ah yeah?" Nabiki replied, not really appeased by the lecture she just received. "And what kind of surprise is it that's supposed to shake me so bad that I need anyone's support?"  
  
"You're sure that you really want to find out?" Ryoga asked teasingly, knowing full well that the girl could never withstand a temptation like that.  
  
"Bring it on," Nabiki challenged proudly, never believing for even one second that her companion could come up with anything she hadn't already considered, at least in passing.  
  
"Ranma's coming back…"  
  
In retrospect it can be stated that Nabiki took the fact rather well. At least she got vocal again after a mere ten minutes. Not exactly coherent, but that wasn't really to be expected anyway.  
  
-  
  
After about an hour and a half, Akane found herself outside the clinic again. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation she had with the doctor and she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be happy or upset with the information he had given her.  
  
He had admitted his cooperation with Mrs. Ichikagawa and confirmed that he and the old lady had conducted some kind of ritual last night to bring Ranma back. By what he claimed it had been a success, and that had Akane out of her seat and nearly jumping the startled doctor, demanding to know her fiancé's state and whereabouts.  
  
The sudden commotion came as a shock to the cat, that had once again been sitting on her lap, and caused another panic-attack of the slightly less- than-stable feline. Akane had managed to calm it down again, but it still stayed pretty nervous for quite a while. Maybe it simply reacted to Akane's own unrest.  
  
Because the poor doctor had to put down Akane's high hopes a notch or two. He told her that, yes, the 'operation' had been a success, but the patient was far from 'out of danger'. The way he put it, Ranma had to adjust to his new body first. And even though the boy was notoriously strong-willed, there was a chance that he might not make it.  
  
Of course, Akane had immediately volunteered her assistance in whatever was necessary for her baka to recover, but the doctor had reluctantly declined the offer. He insisted that he was sworn to secrecy and not allowed to bring in a third party. Not even her. To tell the truth, especially not her.  
  
The resulting fit of anger Akane threw because of that might have finished the clinic off for good, if it wasn't for the doctors pleas for mercy. Even with her crush for him gone, the girl was still unable to see anything bad in him. She knew that, whatever his motives to bar her from Ranma, they were neither selfish nor mean. So she put a tight leash on her temper for once and restricted herself to simple fuming.  
  
Doctor Tofu seemed rather pleased with her for some reason, commenting about her temper probably being the 'best medicine'. Not that this made much sense to the girl. What good is a medicine if you can't give it to the patient?  
  
Then he told her something that really confused her.  
  
"Akane," he asked in a serious voice, "you want to help Ranma, don't you?"  
  
As if he even needed to ask. When had she ever neglected to assist her pigtailed fiancé, at least when it came down to it.  
  
"Then tend to the cat," he had stated mysteriously at her almost volatile positive reply.  
  
This suggestion had her thoroughly confused. Not that she minded caring for the strange feline. She always had a thing for strays. It was just that she didn't understand what that cat had to do with Ranma's recovery.  
  
"Everything," the doctor had assured her. "You see, it's part of the whole deal. If you want your fiancé back then this cat needs to recover too. And you've seen for yourself how it acted around me. I believe we can agree that you've got a much better chance to help it on it's way than I do."  
  
This didn't really answer Akane's questions, but she decided to let it rest for now. Instead she asked what exactly was wrong with the cat. After all it was hard to tend to a sickness you were not aware of.  
  
"Well," the doctor said, thoughtfully phrasing his reply, "you could say that this cat is terminally afraid of its own shadow…"  
  
So here she was now. Out on the street, without her fiancé or a clue about what was really going on, but instead burdened with a potentially dangerous addition to the zoo back home.  
  
"So you're a little scaredy-cat, hmm?" she softly asked the confused looking feline in her arms. "And that even though you're such a big, strong tomcat. But we're going to cure you of that! And do you know why that is?"  
  
For very simple reasons the cats wouldn't answer her to that. But he still seemed to look at her with wide eyes and the ears perked up in attention.  
  
"Because I want my Ranma back…" she whispered conspirationally into one of those, a wistful smile on her face. For some reason this seemed a signal for the cat to start nuzzling her cheek quite vehemently.  
  
"Aaah, stop it, stop it," the girl giggled, "that's tickling."  
  
And it was true, it tickled like hell. But it also produced a warm feeling, spreading from her cheek to her shoulders and down her spine.  
  
"Yeah, I like you too," she told the overly affectionate feline as she stepped out into the street. "But let's get home. I'm really curious how the others will react to you…"  
  
  
  
---  
  
Author's Notes: Gee, this is simply too obvious. Especially for me. My reputation is on the line here after all. But then again, some people won't recognize a hint even if it's scratching their nose. Maybe there's still hope left. :-)  
  
I've got to apologize to one of my more, err, attentive readers though.  
  
Sorry lija (see, right character this time), sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't want to mistreat your perfectly good name like that. Never gonna do it again either. Pinky promise!  
  
By the way, you're right Saggit. I do have a long-term plan. The only problem with this story are the actors. Somehow they don't always stick to the script. Take Kodachi for example. She's simply way too nice compared to her usual conduct. Not that I mind. I can live without her infamous laugh pretty well, thank you.  
  
And thanks to notenchi too. Any suggestions concerning the cliffhangers though? I'm getting itchy again, you know.  
  
While I'm at it, thanks to arron henry and Kou-chan too. Keep on hoping 'KC', it's looking good so far.  
  
Addendum:  
  
Okay, I think we can state that I'm not much of a footnote-writer. But I got an e-mail from seithon jetter who pointed out that a lot of people might be oblivious as to what exactly this 'Nekomata' I mentioned is. I figure he's got a point there. So for a better understanding of Mrs. Ichikagawa's nature, as well as Ranma's reaction to it, I present to you a little history of cats in Japan.  
  
According to legend, the first cats showed up in Japan in the 6th century. They came aboard Chinese ships that carried precious scrolls. That's right. Not corn nor cheese but literature. And once the cargo was delivered some of them got acquired by the new owners too, to keep down the rats and mice in the libraries.  
  
It wasn't until the turn of the first millenium that cats became considered pets as such. But then the Chinese emperor sent a couple of kittens to his Japanese colleague. And with cat's being cats, the ruler over all of Nippon soon had some to spare. So the felines spread among the nobility, and they became more a sign of luxury than anything else. If you had a cat, than you'd made it. Simple as that.  
  
But somehow the cats managed the same trick they did everywhere else in the world. Biased perception to be exact. While they were still regarded largely as a sign of wealth and good fortune, between the 14th and 15th century rumors came up about something called the 'Nekomata'. An evil mountain-spirit with the powers to communicate with, and raise, the dead. Of course, being a creature of darkness, it was also able to change shape. Either it looked like an old cat or a young, seductive (riiight) woman. Usually an actress or a singer. The usual suspects from the amusement- district if you catch my drift. The only way to realize the demonic nature of the human form was to see it undressed, for it had a split tail at the rear. That's probably why from then on, most Japanese males try to catch pretty girls in the nude. Solely security reasons ma'am. Wish I had that kind of excuse.  
  
Anyway, practical as Japanese folks are, they quickly figured that the tails were the general problem, after all they were the only thing connecting both forms. So they simply started hacking them off. Even today, most of the felines in Nippon have to make do without one. Considering that this appendage is usually used for balance, I guess the Japanese mousetraps spend more time lying flat on their face than their European counterparts. But mind you, that's just my guess.  
  
There's a thing to be said in favor of this practice though. There's hardly any Nekomata being sighted in Japan nowadays. But then again, people who are looking for them would probably disregard nice old gals like, let's say, Mrs. Ichikagawa anyway. 


	13. Lucky Numbers

Hey little girl is your daddy home  
  
Did he go away and leave you all alone  
  
I got a bad desire  
  
I'm on fire  
  
Tell me now baby is he good to you  
  
Can he do to you the things that I do  
  
I can take you higher  
  
I'm on fire  
  
Sometimes it's like someone took a knife baby  
  
edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley  
  
through the middle of my soul  
  
At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet  
  
and a freight train running through the  
  
middle of my head  
  
Only you can cool my desire  
  
I'm on fire  
  
-  
  
(Bruce Springsteen - I'm on fire)  
  
-  
  
----------  
  
1 SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 13: Lucky Numbers  
  
-  
  
Up in an abandoned building in a less favorable part of town, a figure was seen pacing back and forth behind the sole intact window. From down at street-level it would be impossible to identify anything about the form except for the fact that IT was most probably a man, that he preferred a dark getup and that he was obviously pretty nervous about something.  
  
If the potential observer had further means to get a little closer, he might be surprised at recognizing the mysterious form to be none else than the well renowned local chiropractic, Doctor Tofu Ono.  
  
`Now that's strange,' the observer might tell himself. 'What's a respected doctor running around in a ruin like that? Shouldn't he be at his clinic at this time of day?'  
  
And the question would be justified. For the doctor seldom did visits except for very sick or very special patients. And none of those from among this small circle would live in a place like that, right?  
  
-  
  
"Why can't I just tell her the truth?" Doctor Tofu inquired in frustration as he finished his hundredth lap. "She's probably figuring it out anyway."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" an ancient voice cackled from the room's corner. "She's proven more than once that she's got a blind eye in that department."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, you already told me about the pig," the man conceded absentmindedly. "But that still doesn't explain why I've got to keep her hanging like that. I mean, we're doing this for her as well."  
  
"Correction doctor," the old woman in the corner disagreed calmly. "You're doing this for the girl as well. I'm simply in this to get a proper heir."  
  
"Well, without her your chances are pretty close to nil," the doctor replied, gesturing wildly as he continued to pace through the room. "She's a key to this, you said so for yourself."  
  
"That's absolutely correct. But on the other hand it's just one more reason not to let her in on this."  
  
"But that doesn't make any sense," the nervous doctor howled, throwing his arms up high. "Why should it hurt if she knows about his current state? I don't believe she'd take it too badly."  
  
"That's never been in question," the old woman retorted sharply. "But once she knows, who will be next to find out? Her siblings? This pig-boy that's always hanging around the place? One of his old rivals? I'm sure there's still some people out there who would be happy to assure that he's not making an appearance again."  
  
This made the doctor stop in his tracks and he looked at Mrs. Ichikagawa's huddled form over in the corner.  
  
"I didn't think about that," he agreed hesitantly, his face turning a nice pearly-white.  
  
"Well, you probably never had to think along lines like that on a regular basis," the old woman replied with a reminiscing smirk. "Consider yourself happy for that. Anyway, there's also another reason apart from the physical danger. Our protégé has to come to terms with his new existence before we can allow him to return fully. A bad timing and he'll be useless to us. And if one of the girls knew about it, they would probably try to 'accelerate' the process, now wouldn't they?"  
  
"Yes, there's a good chance for this," the doctor agreed dejectedly.  
  
"So do you understand now why we've got to keep Ranma hidden for now?" Mrs. Ichikagawa asked, simply to stay on the safe side.  
  
"Yes, I do. Though I'm still feeling kind of bad about it," Doctor Tofu sighed in defeat.  
  
The old woman smiled up at him from her corner, nodding her approval.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, you have my permission to tell Kasumi…" she told her besotted companion.  
  
"R… really…?" was his simple, if stuttered, reply. To anyone but Mrs. Ichikagawa's surprise, he didn't try to dance across the room or anything picturesque like that. It was a shame though that his glasses still had the nasty habit to fog up at the mere mention of this name. But all in all his recent training by the hands of the old woman should still be counted a success. One that demanded a reward.  
  
"Sure," Mrs. Ichikagawa quipped happily. "After all you're going to need some topics to talk about when you take her on that date, isn't that so?"  
  
-  
  
"But… but… how…?" Nabiki stammered helplessly, still pretty stunned by the little piece of news Ryoga had provided her with. Usually she stomached surprises more casually than this, but just as the fanged boy had predicted, her superior demeanor cracked under the onslaught of a suddenly no longer reliable reality.  
  
"She didn't say," Ryoga told her matter-of-factly, "and frankly, I doubt she got any real idea about it either."  
  
"Then maybe it's just one of those crazy ideas of her," Nabiki hazarded a little more coherently, secretly praying that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't another onrushing train. "She simply made it up! That's not unusual for somebody who just lost someone they…"  
  
"… loved?" Ryoga supplied helpfully. He was a little surprised actually at how easy that word went over his lips. But after all that happened there was not much place for delusions anymore. Not after he had witnessed how Akane shut herself up upon Ranma's death. She very obviously had been in love with the jerk, though only the heavens knew why. Still was in love with him actually. Maybe even too much so, considering how nonchalantly she had admitted her suicidal plans last night. And if that idiot really managed to pull this seemingly impossible stunt and came back for good, that would be sufficient proof that he loved her too. What were the chances that he succeeded? Bad? Worse than bad?  
  
"Sorry," he finally apologized to his edgy companion. "I really hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think that Akane's delusional. This whole thing sounds so stupid, it just HAS to be true. You know how things work around Ranma…"  
  
"But… but that's insane!" Nabiki protested weakly. "He can't just come back like that! He will cause an uproar! People will talk…!"  
  
"Is that what you're going to tell your sister?" Ryoga suggested ironically. "Sorry Akane but we can't allow Ranma to come back because it would be such a bad publicity? Somehow I doubt that she'd listen to that. Somehow I doubt that anyone in this crazy place would listen to that."  
  
"Gods! This is a nightmare!" Nabiki exclaimed desperately, burying her face in her hands.  
  
"Naw, come on, it's not so bad," the fanged boy comforted her. "See it more as some kind of challenge."  
  
"A challenge?" the shaken girl asked in confusion. "What are you talking about…?"  
  
"Well," Ryoga explained with a shrug. "There's only one person around here with the skills to cover up for something as big as that, right?"  
  
Slowly Nabiki's head came up again, her troubled expression slowly turning to one of wonder.  
  
"Say," she asked suspiciously, "is it just me or are you suddenly prone to using that brain of yours?"  
  
"Probably just a side-effect," he replied, grinning mischievously. "Comes from all that time I spent hanging around the meanest schemer on this planet lately."  
  
"The meanest schemer, huh?" Nabiki asked, thoughtfully mouthing the word as if trying it for fit. Finally she nodded, slowly, and the hint of a smile returned to her face. "Yeah, that's me. And proud of it too."  
  
-  
  
Kasumi was hard at work when Akane made her return known with a hearty 'Tadaima'. But even with that plainly audible warning she still jerked in surprise when her younger sister joined her in the kitchen. This wasn't entirely because she concentrated so hard on her work, even though that would be a good idea while cutting carrots at extreme speed. No, her mind was well past her current activities, having taken a left turn past the dinner she prepared and now ran circles around her date tonight. Her date? Her date! Oh my, Kasumi had a date. Small wonder she was a little out of it.  
  
"Kasumi?" Akane asked her wide-eyed sister that looked more than a little unfocused. "Is everything alright?"  
  
"What? Yes… of course…" the older girl replied distractedly, carefully removing the huge knife from where she had wedged it into the cutting board right next to her fingertips. "Why are you asking?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Akane replied, nodding towards the counter. "I know I'm no authority in the kitchen, but… is the sauce supposed to bubble like that?"  
  
"What… Oh no!" Kasumi exclaimed as she saw the indicated pot on the brink of boiling over. Hurriedly she removed it from the hearth, making sure that its contents was still salvageable. Once she was content with the results and the normal process of cooking could continue, she returned her attention back to her sister.  
  
"Thank you," she said with honest gratitude. "If this had gone wrong I would have had to start all over again."  
  
"Why are you already preparing dinner anyway?" Akane asked with a wondering expression. "Isn't it still a little early for this?"  
  
"No, not at all. I always…" Kasumi tried to make excuses, but seeing that she had no experiences whatsoever in this business, she quickly caved in. "It's just that I thought that if I got dinner ready a little sooner I still had some time to prepare for tonight…" she hurriedly explained.  
  
"Why? Are you planning on going on a date?" Akane asked curiously. She only wanted to tease Kasumi, never taking in account that she might do just that. But the downcast eyes and blushing face of her sister quickly convinced her otherwise.  
  
"No kidding?" she queried excitedly. "You're really going on a date?"  
  
"I… I don't know…" Kasumi admitted sheepishly, her expression showing some hesitation. "I mean, someone asked me out but I don't know if it's proper to go. Not while y… we're still in mourning…"  
  
Hearing this, Akane cocked her head and looked her sister straight in the eyes, one brow raised.  
  
"Who asked you out?" she demanded to know, slowly edging a little closer.  
  
Kasumi appeared shy to answer, blushing even more and mumbling a name under her breath.  
  
"Would you mind to repeat that a little louder," Akane requested persistently. "I couldn't hear you."  
  
"I said 'Doctor Tofu', okay!?" the cornered girl shot back, suddenly turning wide-eyed as she noticed that she had just raised her voice.  
  
"Oh… I'm sorry…" she apologized, one hand covering her mouth as if to prevent it from embarrassing her further. "I… I didn't want to scream at you."  
  
Akane for her part looked equally wide-eyed like her sister, though she looked more pleasantly surprised than anything else. The broad grin she displayed might have a hand in that  
  
"Kaaasuuumiii…!" she exclaimed prior to shaking her head in disbelief. "Doctor Tofu finally acquired enough backbone to ask you out and you worry about propriety? Come on, honestly. You want to go, don't you?"  
  
Kasumi simply nodded in reply. Whatever had caused her still prominent blush was obviously also hampering her vocal chords. Akane didn't need any other answer though, probably because her opinion on this was already established anyway.  
  
"Then it's settled, you're going!" she declared with finality.  
  
A low meow, originating from about chest-height, seemed to agree with her.  
  
"See," Akane stated happily, stroking her new protégé she had almost forgotten about. "The cat says so too."  
  
"The cat?" Kasumi asked in surprise, curiosity overriding her embarrassment as she eyed the bundle of fur in her sisters arms. "Since when do you have a cat?"  
  
-  
  
Akane finished her story while sitting on the counter, feeding scraps of tuna to the feline in her lap.  
  
"… and then he asked me if I would be willing to take care of this rascal. And I thought why not? After all, it was pretty obvious that there wouldn't be much left of the clinic if I declined."  
  
Of course she left out the parts that concerned Ranma's resurrection and the doctors involvement in it. Sure, she soon would have to test the grounds for her fiancé's return, but for the moment she preferred to keep it secret. True, she had blabbed about it to the other girls last night, but that had been different. They had a right to know, even Kodachi.  
  
It was funny in a way how her perspective on those girls had changed. Two weeks ago, Akane wouldn't have dreamed disclosing information like that to any of her competitors. But then again, two weeks ago she wouldn't have dreamed to admit that there was a competition going on at all.  
  
Anyway, the fiancée-brigade was one thing, her family was something completely different. For example, their reaction to the whole idea was guaranteed to have a much larger impact on Akane's future. Her father wasn't much of a problem, he'd accept about anything as long as the dojo's heritage was secured. And watching Nabiki trying to rationalize something like that might even be fun. But Kasumi was a liability. After all, she had always been the one worrying most about morals and the family's reputation. And a fiancé dropping by for a visit a couple of days after his funeral was hardly productive in that department.  
  
"Huh?" Akane asked absentmindedly, snapping out of her musings as she registered that namely sister had just directed a question at her.  
  
"What is his name?" Kasumi repeated the question without any apparent ire at being ignored. "The cat sure has a name, doesn't it?"  
  
"Err… dunno?" Akane replied with a blink. She looked down at the cat questioningly as if expecting it to supply her with an answer to this. The cat simply returned her gaze blankly while chewing on a piece of fish, not that this surprised anyone.  
  
"I didn't ask for his name and the doctor never gave it either," she admitted. "Maybe you could ask him tonight? Provided he's coherent enough to answer…"  
  
"Well, maybe…" Kasumi agreed, blushing like every time Tofu's name had been mentioned. 'If I'm coherent enough to ask that is…' she added mentally though.  
  
-  
  
Later that day, the Tendo family and their houseguest sat together around the dinner-table. Akane sat at one end of the table, digging in like their was no tomorrow. Her lap was unoccupied for once as she had left the cat in her room, sleeping peacefully on the bed. Nabiki and Ryoga sat side by side and ate in silence, casting secretive glances at one another and the ravenous girl next to them. Opposite to their position sat Kasumi, eating quietly as long as she wasn't serving the dishes. And then there was Soun Tendo, sitting at the remaining end of the table. He still appearing as lost in thoughts as he had the whole day. This fact might have alarmed his family, if it wasn't for the fact that it was simply drowned out by all their other concerns. And they had plenty of those.  
  
All in all it was a peaceful, if a bit subdued atmosphere. Until Kasumi came up with her news.  
  
"No way!" Nabiki exclaimed excitedly. "He really asked you out? That's great!"  
  
"Yeah, aint it?" Akane agreed happily between bites. "Was about time he finally grew some balls."  
  
Kasumi, unused to that much attention, alternated between blushing and pouting at her sisters in mock indignation.  
  
"Come on," she demanded, "he's not THAT bad."  
  
"Course not," Akane placated mischievously. "Finest figure of a man if you ask me."  
  
"Especially the buttocks," Nabiki supplied helpfully.  
  
"Never mention that nice, flat stomach."  
  
"And those broad shoulders."  
  
"Did I mention his big…"  
  
"That's not what I meant…!" Kasumi interrupted the listing of her date's physical qualities, casting an exasperated glance at her sisters.  
  
"You're positive about that?" Nabiki inquired with a smirk. "I mean, despite your usual attitude you ARE just a twenty years old girl. It's only natural if you notice stuff like this."  
  
"But it wouldn't be proper…" the elder girl protested weakly, deflating instantly as she cast her eyes at the ground and started to poke halfheartedly at the food on her plate.  
  
"Maybe," Akane agreed with an unimpressed shrug. "But it sure is fun."  
  
"Not to mention that it's important for a healthy development," Nabiki added wisely. "Plus, you don't honestly believe that our good doctor is only impressed by your nice personality and domestic skills? He's a 'physician' after all."  
  
A meaningful silence settled upon the room as everyone seemed to wait for Kasumi's response to this. But none came, her only reaction a crossing of arms in front of her chest and a renewed pout directed at her sisters. Though coming from the terminally placid girl, that alone corresponded to a medium-sized fit from anyone with a more normal balanced adrenaline-level.  
  
Her father obviously saw this as an opportunity to add his own half-pint of wisdom to the discussion. It is still debated among historians what exactly he whispered into his eldest daughters ear as he leaned across the table. But her last words before she did the pale-blush-pale-routine and fainted have been chronicled for all the coming generations.  
  
They were described as a very shocked, almost scared sounding remix of her most beloved saying.  
  
"My…?! Oh…!"  
  
-  
  
In another part of town, another dinner was taking place, though this one was held in complete silence. Much surprise there, considering that only one person was attending. Sitting at the huge table in the dining-room of her family's mansion, Kodachi Kuno had to make do with herself as only company. The table was richly decorated of course, with dozens of different dishes for her to indulge in. Provided she showed enough appetite to even sample them, which as of now she hadn't.  
  
Maybe this was because of her missing brother. Tatewaki had been absent when she returned home and none of the staff had seen him since yesterday. But then again, Kodachi and her brother had never been blamed to be too close, no doubt a side effect of their 'easygoing' personalities. And anyway, Tatewaki was a big boy and could be trusted to fend for his own. At least that was what Kodachi told herself. There was a tiny voice in the back of her mind that lectured her about what might happen if some indisputably unstable guy ran loose with the proverbial scissors.  
  
The thing about 'scissors' and 'boys' wasn't actually the problem here. The tiny voice on the other hand was. Because it was just one tiny voice and it sounded just like her own. Usually there should be something like a discussion-forum in the back of her mind. Nothing that was discernible as an actual conversation, mind you. It had always been more like a multitude of conflicting opinions that bubbled at the edge of her perception just shy of conscious thought. But now there was only silence.  
  
It appeared to Kodachi that Kinyou must have told her the truth about the ancestral blade of the Kunos. That the spirits trapped within had left their mark on the living members of the clan. Influenced them with their presence. Not that Kodachi would have stood a chance to notice this prior to the blade's destruction. If the spirits had been with her since her birth, how could she have realized that something was amiss?  
  
But now she did, and suddenly the silence was deafening. It hadn't been so bad as long as Kinyou was around. And once Kodachi had been forced to spent the night in the lowly abode the Tendos called home, there had been more than enough distractions.  
  
But finally back at her home and without anyone to talk to, or even trade insults with, the huge manor appeared like some oversized labyrinth. All empty rooms and deserted hallways.  
  
Sure, there were the servants. But while they did an excellent job at running the house, they were hardly interested in entertaining their mistress.  
  
Her pet alligator had less qualms about spending time with her, but he was hardly what you could call a witty entertainer. To tell the truth, the only thing that made the big lizard even as much as lash an eye was food.  
  
And the plants in her greenhouse were even worse. Usually her pride and joy, the flowers and associated foliage had for once completely failed to soothe her troubled mind. It was disconcerting to say the least.  
  
And so it came to pass that Kuno Kodachi, the Black Rose of St. Hebeke, proud scion of an old and honorable house of Samurai and as such member of one of the most prestigious families in all of Tokyo, sat amidst all her riches and listlessly poked at her Paté a l'Alsacienne.  
  
Because honestly, she would have been willing to exchange all this for something as simple as a bowl of rice in a lowly abode like the one the Tendos called home. Anything, just as long as it saved her from feeling so damn lonely.  
  
-  
  
Ranma wasn't too happy with his current situation either. Sure, true to her word Mrs. Ichikagawa had provided him with a new body and yes, as far as he could tell it was healthy and everything. But on the downside it was a far cry from what he had expected. Instead of an eighteen years old human male she had given him the form of a… of a…  
  
'Don't go there,' he told himself while pressing his eyes shut. 'Just don't think about it.'  
  
The tightly shut eyes were another aspect of his new existence. He couldn't even look at his own body without throwing a fit. This had led him to a couple of surprising realizations. Like how many reflective surfaces were to be found in your average household. The last time he came across one, it had taken him the better part of an hour to get a grip on his panic again.  
  
Damn that old woman! He should have known that something was fishy. After all, when exactly had anybody ever offered a cure to him that wasn't worse than the ailment?  
  
'Just once, just fucking once I want to be on the right side of the punchline.' Ranma lamented morosely. 'I mean, look at me… Yeah right, as if I could. But honestly, if I'd known that I'd end up like this…'  
  
Then what? He wasn't sure what the answer should be. Truth to be told, he would have probably gone through with it anyway.  
  
And why exactly was that? Because, as much as he hated to admit it, he was a complete sucker for a certain overly temperamental tomboy. And after witnessing what his ultimate variant of the 'Saotome final technique' had done to her, he'd probably even accepted to come back as a mouse, a chicken or a mule, just as long as he stood a chance to make up for it.  
  
Or how about a pig? A cute little black piglet? It shouldn't be too difficult to get a hold on a spotted bandana. Man, would Ryoga be in for a surprise. Pig-boy would probably throw a fit. Or an identity-crisis. Or both.  
  
But as things stood for now, the cutesy-piglet-act stayed safely in Ryoga's corner, and maybe it was better this way. At least Ranma wasn't prone to show up on anyone's menu. As long as he didn't stroll into a Vietnamese restaurant that is.  
  
But back to the original topic.  
  
The important one.  
  
Akane.  
  
He had promised to her that he would come back, and so far he had kept his word. Now the most important task at hand lay at finding the means to get over this stupid fear of… fear of…  
  
'Shit,' he cursed inwardly, pushing his eyes shut further. 'Shit, shit, shit. This is going to take a LOT of work...'  
  
-  
  
Everybody that saw Doctor Tofu walking down the streets of an early-evening Nerima thought more or less the same thing.  
  
'Poor sod.'  
  
An understandable notion, considering the display our good doctor gave to the folks he passed by. Hair painstakingly brushed back and secured in a knot so tight that his face almost looked stretched back. The jacket and slacks he wore slightly out of fashion but starched and ironed to the point of emitting creaking noises as he moved. A colorful but badly over-endorsed bouquet of roses threatened to be knotted into pretzel-shape by nervous, sweating hands. Practicing greetings, compliments and the other verbal prerequisites of a hopefully lively conversation over and over under his breath.  
  
He gave the perfect impersonation of a teenager who's mom had sent him on his way to his first date, making sure he looked 'presentable'. Well, everyone knows that mothers and potential girlfriends don't usually think along the same lines once it comes to stuff like that. Doctor Tofu for his part looked like mom's version of 'presentable' at the moment. But then, considering his intended companion for the night, this might as well be a good thing.  
  
The aforementioned people he walked by, especially those that knew about the doctor's love-life and considering this neighborhood that included about everyone, took into account the direction he was heading in and the almost frightened look in his eyes, thus coming to more or less the same conclusion.  
  
'It's about bloody time…'  
  
And so it came that all over Nerima blessings and prayers were worded, expressing the general hope that this town's most renowned chiropractic may finally get rid of his entertaining but way too dangerous antics concerning a certain daughter of the house of Tendo.  
  
-  
  
Once the good doctor arrived at the Tendo residence at the appointed time, it was Akane who opened the door for him. The girl led him to the living room where she sat him down with a cup of tea and started a light conversation after informing him that Kasumi would soon be ready to join them. It was pretty obvious that she enjoyed watching him squirm and cast nervous glances at the stairs while obviously trying to put up a calm front.  
  
Not that Doctor Tofu noticed her amusement. Nor did he notice the mischievous grin she wore, as if she was waiting for something funny to happen very soon. If he had noticed those signs in his trepidation, maybe he would have been better prepared for what came next. But then again, it's not very probable.  
  
Upstairs a door opened, and the sound of skipping feet came down the stairs, produced by a broadly grinning Nabiki.  
  
"Hey doc," she greeted happily, waving in his direction as she stopped at the bottom. Then her head snapped back and she called back to where she had come from. "Come on Sis', hurry. You're Beau's getting impatient."  
  
There was a mumbled reply coming from upstairs, but only Nabiki seemed able to make out the actual words.  
  
"Listen, this took us the better part of the last two hours and you're not going to ruin it because you freak at the last moment.," she replied with a pout. "And anyway, shouldn't you let the doctor decide whether he likes it or not?"  
  
A defeated sigh was heard from the stairs and then slow, hesitant footsteps coming down. Nabiki turned towards her equally grinning sister and the anxious doctor, bowing low as her arms pointed at the stairs.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen," she exclaimed with obvious pleasure, "may I present to you…"  
  
The first part of Kasumi coming into view was a shapely leg, for once not hidden beneath a long skirt as this one ended clearly north of her knees. If that wasn't enough to blow a couple of gaskets with the good doctor, the rest of what followed was guaranteed to finish the job. The dress was a dark, shimmering blue. Figure-hugging. With a décolleté accentuated by a simple brooch. Not that it needed any accentuating, mind you. She also wore a bolero-jacket made of the same material as the dress, further bringing out her slim waist. Her hair had been thoroughly redone too, stuck in an ornate knot and with small curls framing her face. The finishing touch had been the light makeup she wore, doing a nice job in bringing out her expressive eyes and full lips.  
  
All in all she didn't look the least like her usual housewife-persona. More like something out of a fashion magazine.  
  
The poor doctor. Sensory overload can be such a drag.  
  
-  
  
"See," Kasumi told her younger sister accusingly as she kneeled by her fallen date, "he hates it!"  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Nabiki replied, pointing out the broad grin the stricken doctor wore even while unconscious, "I think he likes your getup just fine."  
  
"Yep," Akane agreed happily from the sidelines, "it sure is a knockout."  
  
"I don't care if it is," Kasumi shot back in an unusually heated manner. "I'm going back to my room and change into something more… more… appropriate!"  
  
"Hey, this is something appropriate," Nabiki insisted in exasperation. "You're going on a date after all and not to church."  
  
"But this isn't me!" the dressed-up girl protested in plain desperation, gesturing at herself. "This dress, this makeup, this… hair… It's all wrong!"  
  
One of her hands shot up to undo the fruits of more than an hour of hard labor when it was suddenly stopped by another hand. A warm, strong but gentle hand, too large to belong to one of her sisters.  
  
"Don't," she heard the doctor whisper. And he didn't sound as if he was shocked or, heaven forbid, scandalized by her display.  
  
Her gaze followed the restraining limb back to it's proprietor and on to his face. He returned her questioning, and somewhat hopeful glance from under still half-lidded eyes, a contend smile on his lips.  
  
"Don't," he repeated with surprising resolve considering who he was talking to while showing no intention whatsoever to let go of her hand again. "I know I'm no expert but… you look beautiful."  
  
-  
  
"Wow, what happened to the doctor?" Akane remarked in awe as they waved after the taxi that had picked up the dating couple.  
  
"Who knows," Nabiki replied with a shrug. "Maybe it was the shock that did it for him."  
  
"I sure hope it lasts the whole evening," the younger girl remarked hopefully. "He didn't stutter once while they waited for their ride."  
  
"True," Nabiki admitted meaningfully, "HE didn't…"  
  
This produced a laugh from both of them as they remembered their sister's constant stammering and blushing during the last half hour.  
  
They turned back towards the house, talking amiably about their wayward sister's antics, her promising suitor's chances at keeping his cool and fathers doing the wedding-jig in general.  
  
-  
  
Ryoga, or rather 'P-Chan' at the moment, looked about to take in his surroundings, a huge sweatdrop forming on his brow.  
  
'Come on man,' he told himself, trying to sound convincing, 'this can't be that hard.'  
  
One step, two step, pantry, …damn!  
  
Turning on his heels he tried anew.  
  
One step, two steps, bathroom, …f***!  
  
Well, at least he was getting closer to his intended destination. Now were where the stairs? They should be about …there!  
  
Zipping across the corridor, he bounced up the steps only to come to a screeching halt at the top.  
  
Now where to go next? Swiveled his tiny head back and forth he cursed once more. There were doors. Lots of doors. No which one was the right one? Well, nothing left but trying them all.  
  
So he tiptoed to the one to his right, only to find it shut. It would have stood no chance against his human self, but to the advances of his cursed form it was as resilient as any given high-security vault. Grunting in frustration, Ryoga changed course and headed for the next one.  
  
It was a little further down the corridor, or maybe up the corridor, he wasn't exactly sure. But then again, when had he ever been? Nudging the sturdy wood with his snout, he was rewarded with a squeaking sound as the door moved on its hinges. Squeezing through the resulting gap, he sneaked into the room and took a look around.  
  
Desk by the window, check.  
  
Dresser to his left… His left? Okay, probably. Dresser to the left was good anyway.  
  
Sideboard with stuffed toys on them… Bingo! This was Akane's room! Hey, impossible as it seemed at first glance, but for one fortune smiled down on Hibiki Ryoga. With a happy 'Oink' he took off in a running start and jumped up to his favorite spot on the bed.  
  
A wise man once said something interesting about fortune. It NEVER smiles down ON you. And if you ever should notice it directing as much as a grin in your direction, he advised to move to the most secluded spot you can find and bolt the door. Barricade it. Nail it shut.  
  
Ryoga learned the truth behind those words the hard way, by touching down dead center on a fluffy black pillow on the bed's center.  
  
A strangely warm pillow.  
  
With a peculiar auburn pattern.  
  
That jerked as soon as he touched it.  
  
Suddenly growing eyes and a tail and paws and claws to go with them.  
  
And started hissing in irritation at the panicking piglet…  
  
Authors Notes: Arrrgh... I'm running late, I know. Sorry 'bout that. But what did you expect? This is chapter Nr. 13. Of course everything went wrong. For starters, half of Germany seems desperate for new servers, network components and Telephony systems. Before the start of the CEBIT no less!(Don't ask, I aint got a clue why they're suddenly in a rush. I don't mind selling the stuff though.) Anyway, it's good for business but bad for fanfiction.  
  
Add to that the fact that I threw away half of the chapter and started again from scratch because honestly, it stank. Repetitive, pointless, boring, all words appropriate to describe it. The part I threw away, mind you.  
  
And I did a little drawing on the side too. After all it's faster to grab a sketchpad than to boot a computer once creativity strikes. If you want blame anyone for this, blame Hella in the DBZ section of fanfiction.net. More precisely, blame her story 'Shades of Twilight'. Great stuff, wether you like Son Goku and Co. or not.  
  
Anyway, I hope the next chapter will be out on the regular schedule again...  
  
(Whisper from the background)  
  
Huh, what was that...?  
  
(Louder whisper from the background)  
  
Hey, what'cha mean with 'nobody noticed anyway...?!  
  
(Very loud but still indiscernible whisper from the background)  
  
Honestly! I'm sure Lija noticed. I mean, come on, one week without spelling errors! She can't have missed it. Or Vivi! Said he or she or whatever was already waiting for the next chapter.  
  
(A grunt and some mumbling from the background)  
  
No, I don't think Vivi's a masochist, thank you very much. And neither are Makotojs and KnightWolfe, just in case you're wondering.  
  
(Nasty laugh from the background)  
  
Hey, watch it, that's my readers you're insulting...!  
  
(Another nasty laugh from the background)  
  
(Suddenly sounds of violence and physical abuse in the background)  
  
(Whimpering noise in the background)  
  
Gee, multiple personalities are such a nuisance... 


	14. Nowhere to run

Madman drummers bummers  
  
Indians in the summer  
  
With a teenage diplomat  
  
In the dumps with the mumps  
  
As the adolescent pumps  
  
His way into his hat  
  
With a boulder on my shoulder  
  
Feeling kinda older  
  
I tripped a merry-go-round  
  
With this very unpleasing  
  
Sneezing and wheezing  
  
The calliope crashed to the ground  
  
-  
  
Blinded by the light  
  
Revved up like a deuce  
  
Another runner in the night  
  
Blinded by the light  
  
She got down but she never got tight  
  
She's gonna make it through the night  
  
-  
  
(Excerpt from: Manfred Man's Earth Band – Blinded by the light)  
  
-  
  
  
  
----------  
  
1 SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 14: Nowhere to run  
  
-  
  
A high-pitched squeal coming from upstairs was the first sign for the returning girls that something was amiss. Just as they passed through the entrance they heard the panicked sound, causing Akane to leave her sister standing in a cloud of dust as she flew up the stairs towards the first floor. The ongoing stream of squeaks and oinks and scrapping hooves emitting from the room she knew should only contain a sleepy cat filled her with adrenaline and a sick feeling in her intestines.  
  
How could she have forgotten about P-Chan? Her sweet little pet-pig with the uncanny ability to pop in and out of the most unlikely of places? He must have come back from god knows where he spent the day and gone looking for her. And where else to look first if not in her room?  
  
But of course it hadn't been his 'mommy' that greeted him upon his return. Instead there waited about twenty-five pounds of easily irritated feline with the certified capability to take down a medium-sized apartment- building.  
  
Crashing through the door she took in the chaotic mess her room had been turned into and saw her worst fears realized. Well, maybe not her worst fears. Actually, considering the prior emotional buildup, what she saw was almost a little disappointing.  
  
-  
  
Stranded in a corner of the room and shaking like a dry twig in a thunderstorm, P-Chan watched wide-eyed as 'The Cat' stalked his way in a relaxed and almost insultingly slow pace. Oh yes, Ryoga had faced cats before in his cursed form, and most of them had continued their lives with a healthy respect for small, cute little piglets with a knack for martial- arts.  
  
But this one was different from those strays and family-pets he fought before. He couldn't for the life of his tell why, but this cat scared him like none had before.  
  
Maybe it was because it was almost as big as a dog, but still sleek and graceful. Powerful muscles rippling beneath gleaming fur. Unsettling pale eyes glowing in an unholy light that seemed to promise something cruel and painful in the little pig's immediate future.  
  
Or maybe it was because of its smell. This terrible smell that for some reason reminded P-Chan's sensitive nose of darkness and fear and fresh blood.  
  
Or maybe it was simply his pig-genes finally taking control and freezing the human part of his mind to the point were running seemed the only option. Running away as fast and far away as possible from this ghastly, terrifying monster of a cat that stalked him, that pawed and clawed and threatened to swallow him whole.  
  
-  
  
It would be disputable if it had helped P-Chan any would he have known the real intentions behind the cat's toothy grin. For the feline was actually more impressed with the pig's strange reactions than its possible use as a light snack.  
  
Tip-toeing a little closer, it dropped a paw in front of the quivering heap of pork, thus causing it to jump almost to the ceiling in panic, only to suddenly change course by ricocheting off the wall, then the cupboard, desk, bed and other assorted objects of furniture.  
  
It was exactly what it had done every time the cat had come too close, and the feline, true to the playful nature of its kind, watched it zig and zag through the room in fascination, even rolling on its back for a better view of the pig passing overhead. Its head followed the squeaking projectile on its wild ride until the propellant ran out and it crashed down in yet another corner of the room.  
  
Then the game would start anew. The cat would roll to its feet and cautiously approach the piglet in its selected corner, gleefully watching it squirm and quiver at each step. Then, when the suspense had reached the boiling point, all that was needed was another strategically placed paw and… whoosh… instant flying pig.  
  
Oh what a funny way to pass the time.  
  
-  
  
Akane stared at her ruined room in wide-eyed disbelief. Books, magazines and papers strewn all over the floor, picture frames toppled or crashed down, as was about everything else she had placed on the desk or the cupboards. The mirror on the wall splintered and hanging askance, her chair lying on the ground, next to the pillows that originally belonged on her bed. And amidst the chaos, the cat lay on its back, paws pulled tight and head zipping back and forth as it trailed a black shadow that zipped through the room, squeaking pitifully as it crash-banged from furniture to the walls and back, causing more and more of the mess.  
  
Acting quickly and without any apparent sense of self-preservation, Akane jumped right into the path of the mini-sputnik's next passage, catching him with a full body-check like a Major League Football Player. She rolled across the floor, the panicking piglet struggling in her arms and came to rest right in front of a slightly disappointed looking cat. Panting she sat up, leaning her back to the wall as she cautiously inspected her quivering pet.  
  
"It's okay, it's okay…" she repeated over and over while stroking the little pig. "Moma's here. Nobody's going to hurt you as long as moma's here."  
  
Slowly her assurances and little cooing noises bore fruit. The piglet stopped squirming and simply made do with burying as deep into her arms as was possible without breaking her skin.  
  
While Akane tended to P-Chan, the cat rolled on its side and watched the whole thing. At first it looked on in bemusement, but the longer the girl's attention stayed with the pig, the more the cat's expression darkened. Its tail started to twitch in irritation, and maybe it was this sudden movement that caught Akane's eye.  
  
"And what did YOU think you were doing?" she chided the feline. "Bullying poor little P-Chan like that? And look what you did to my room!"  
  
The tomcat for his part saw those accusations of course as completely unjust and hissed angrily in reply. Then he shot to his paws in indignation and presented her with his backside, tail raised high. The look he passed her over his shoulder before haughtily stalking towards the door looked almost as if he was throwing a raspberry, but of course that was probably just Akane's imagination.  
  
Such a human gesture was highly unlikely to come from a cat after all.  
  
-  
  
Even though the door stood wide open, the way out was blocked with something, or rather someone, who also incorporated many catlike features, including a sometimes nasty sense of humor.  
  
"Now that's a new one," Nabiki remarked dryly as she leaned in the doorframe, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. "Since when are cats allowed in this house? Oh wait, I remember. It's about two weeks now, isn't it?"  
  
"That's not funny," Akane growled, shooting a poisonous glare at her sister as she continued to pat her pet.  
  
"I don't know," Nabiki replied mysteriously. "Something here surely is."  
  
"Huh? What's that supposed to imply?" the younger girl responded, her anger suddenly replaced by a more cautious demeanor.  
  
"Nothing really," the girl by the door stated calmly. "Maybe I'm just curious. There've been so many strange incidents lately. If I hadn't been to his funeral, I'd almost believe Ranma was still around. Though that would hardly explain why you suddenly decide to house a cat here."  
  
As she spoke those words, the cat that had stopped dead at her feet started hissing, glaring up at the human giant and twitching its tail angrily again. Nabiki saw this and recognized the signals for the warning they were, but since she didn't know of the feline's destructive capabilities yet, she wasn't exactly frightened by them.  
  
"Yeah, I'm talking about you kitty," she addressed the cat. "You know, two weeks ago Akane wouldn't even have let you near this place. Nobody living in this house would have. Nothing personal, mind you. It's been simply safer that way, considering the way Ranma would have reacted in the case of an encounter."  
  
Returning her gaze to the bewildered sister that still sat on the ground, holding on tightly to her piglet, she smiled a grim little smile as she continued.  
  
"But then again, Ranma can't freak out anymore, or can he? So why not add a cat to your zoo? It's surely not any stranger than your sudden change of mood ever since you went on that mysterious little walk yesterday. Say, you're still sure that absolutely nothing interesting happened back then?"  
  
Even though she phrased that last sentence as a question, it was obvious that she saw this as given. It was also obvious that she expected an answer anyway. And with this being Nabiki, it was obvious that it was better going to be a good one.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Akane replied defensively, using the standard phrase that always marked you as 'guilty'. "What do you want to hear? That I enjoyed myself that much between kicking Kuno's butt and talking with Ukyou that I completely forgot about Ranma, huh?"  
  
"What I want to hear?" Nabiki gave back, mirroring her sister's tone perfectly while adding a sarcastic spin of her own. "I want to hear that this whole mess never really happened. I want to wake up right now and Ranma's still alive. And there are no stupid ghosts hanging around, and no gods, and my little sister never had the idiotic idea to go and try to kill herself in the middle of the night! But actually," she continued in a more sympathetic manner, smiling sadly at her suddenly pale-faced sister, "what I want isn't that important. So I'm willing to settle for the truth, okay?"  
  
Still shell-shocked from the unexpected depth of Nabiki's knowledge about yesterday's events, Akane stared from her sister's face to the alarmed looking cat that had apparently taken a guarding position between them and back again.  
  
"Fine," she finally declared with a sigh, struggling to a standing position. Then she walked over and burdened her surprised sister with P- Chan's tiny body.  
  
"Here, you want to know the truth?" she told the reluctant girl. "Then you take P-Chan while I take care of the cat."  
  
"Why can't I take care of the cat instead?" Nabiki inquired, trying to keep the piglet as far away from her chest as possible. After all, 'she' knew of its second identity as a certain directionally challenged martial artist. "I'm much better with cats than with… this pig."  
  
"You're welcome to try…" Akane replied with a shrug as she took P-Chan back. It may have been the light, but Nabiki almost believed to see a dangerous glint flash across her sisters eyes. Whether this was just a trick of the light she would never know, but the grim smile Akane wore was real, no doubt about that.  
  
-  
  
"Oh come on," Akane teased her twitching sister as she applied the disinfectant, "it's only a little scratch. No need to make such a show of it."  
  
"A little scratch?" Nabiki retorted vehemently. "Look at it, I'm lucky that I pulled back fast enough or we'd have to interrupt Kasumi's date!"  
  
"Stop squirming," Akane shot back , "you've almost dropped P-Chan. If you don't take better care I've got to switch pets again…"  
  
"No way!" Nabiki replied, her gaze automatically searching the cat sitting nearby, obviously still unable to decide if it preferred to look smug or guilty. "The pig is mine!"  
  
Said pig was currently on the brink of passing out, thanks to the generous amount of breast it was currently being pressed into rather forcefully. He didn't complain though, being momentarily content with quietly nose- bleeding himself into oblivion.  
  
"If you say so," Akane agreed while putting away the medical supplies. Then she sat down opposite to her sister and called for the cat who eagerly took the offered place on her lap. Curling up to a purring bundle of fur, the feline nonetheless watched Nabiki attentively through half-lidded eyes.  
  
"So, where do you want me to start?" Akane finally asked once she and the cat were comfortable. "Probably with me leaving the house yesterday morning, right?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Nabiki agreed with a nod, distractedly stroking the pig in her arms as her full attention was directed at the girl opposite of her.  
  
"Well," Akane began in her best story-teller's voice, "I guess it all started when Kuno showed up with one of his sister's special bouquets…"  
  
-  
  
Nabiki wasn't the only one listening intently as Akane began to spin her tale. The pig in her arms seemed as interested as the cat on her sister's lap. In P-Chan's case the reason for this was rather transparent, at least to Nabiki.  
  
The feline though appeared to her suspiciously attentive for one of his kind, reacting with grunts and side-glances to parts of the story he obviously disagreed with, and strangely captivated whenever Akane's true feelings for a certain 'pigtailed jerk' became almost painfully apparent during this tale of mystery, ghosts, cursed families and friendship.  
  
And love of course. Not that she ever really used that word, old habits die hard after all. But it didn't exactly take a scientist to discern what fuelled this girl's hopes and dreams.  
  
Stupid hopes and idiotic dreams according to Nabiki. As long as they led to her sister trying to something as idiotic as committing seppuku. That was exactly what Nabiki had always hated about all this 'love-business'. If you did it right, and what was the point of love if you didn't, it made you completely dependant on someone else. A concept as alien to Nabiki as paying taxes. Maybe even more so.  
  
On the plus-side, Ranma had shown up in time to stop Akane from perforating her stomach, in spite of this little inconvenience of already being dead himself. No small feat, and Nabiki strongly doubted that she would have been able to do anything similar, had she been in his situation. But then again, who could compete with Ranma when it came to showing off?  
  
Well, making an appearance as a ghost was one thing, coming back from the dead was something entirely else. It should be completely impossible. Science said so after all, and this was the 20th century, not the age of legends. A modern woman should simply discard silly ideas like that. Like Jusenkyou. Or Oni. Or stupid wishing-swords. Or… well, you get the picture.  
  
Listening to Akane, Nabiki found herself similarly forced to believe the truth of Ranma's resurrection as she had been when Ryoga first told her about it.  
  
This was, in a very real way, completely insane.  
  
It was also, in a equally real way, completely likely.  
  
There is after all something called 'Nerima-deduction'. It follows an easy enough rule. Take all the facts, throw away everything that's even remotely probable, and what you're left with, especially if it appears completely stupid, is the truth. *  
  
---  
  
*People in the western hemisphere always appear surprised at how often this method has been applied successfully. But then again, they discovered the 'Chaos-theory' only recently, whereas the Japanese always had Tokyo.  
  
---  
  
"What are you going to do with him once you get him back?" Nabiki asked when her sister's narration drew to an end.  
  
"Now that's a pretty private question," Akane replied, a light blush creeping across her face, followed closely by a roguish grin. It was surprising, to say the least, but after confessing to her sister she was feeling actually pretty relieved. Almost reckless even.  
  
"Well, that's not what I meant," Nabiki stated, rolling her eyes theatrically. "Though I guess that's only to be expected. No, I mean afterwards, when the novelty has run out. Say, after a week or two, when the both of you come out from under the sheets again…"  
  
"Nabiki!" Akane interrupted her older sister, 'embarrassment' painted a tad bit too thickly across her face.  
  
"Now what?" the other girl asked innocently. "If he's got a brand-new body then it's your duty as his… girlfriend, or whatever this whole mess makes you, to check that everything is working according to the specifications. That's the least you can do…"  
  
"Gee, if you put it THAT way…" Akane snickered, sinking lower in her seat. That movement obviously startled the cat that had kind off zoned off on her lap. The big tomcat shook his head as if to clear some cobwebs and stared at her with big eyes.  
  
"What's the matter?" the cat's living cushion asked him amiably. "Did I scare you?"  
  
The cat nodded at her in reply, then shock his head only to nod again. It was a funny sight, even if it was probably just some typical cat-behavior both girls simply didn't know about.  
  
"Oooh! My poor baby…!" Akane exclaimed in overdramatic pity, reaching out for the feline and pulling him flat onto her stomach, his head coming to a rest between her breasts while her arms were encircling him protectively.  
  
The general effect was pretty much the same that Nabiki's embrace had on P- Chan. 'Sorry brain, the blood is needed elsewhere'. The poor animal never even had a chance to purr.  
  
"As I was saying," Nabiki suddenly spoke up, successfully regaining her sisters attention. "You're going to have to deal with a couple of problems once Ranma comes back. IF he comes back and this wasn't just something he made up to keep you from shish-kebabing yourself. Not that I'd blame him if he did."  
  
"He's coming back," Akane insisted with surprising calmness, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Okay, let's say for now that he does," Nabiki agreed with a shrug. " Then what are we going to do about him? He will be without an identity. No name, no family, no papers…"  
  
"But Auntie would surely…" Akane threw in confusedly, only to get interrupted herself.  
  
"Officially!" Nabiki corrected her curtly. "We're talking bureaucracy here. If you've got no papers, you don't exist. Simple as that. So that means no school, not that he'd ever complain about that. But it also means that he can't go to university, and you know what that means in this country. He could never take over the Dojo either, for he's no legal persona. And this of course also means no marriage."  
  
"So?" Akane asked defiantly. "You don't honestly believe that a few complications would stop us from anything?"  
  
"So it's 'us' now," Nabiki remarked nonchalantly, tilting her head as she inspected her sister's unflinching expression. "Anyway, both of you already proved yourselves as uncorrectable boneheads. Still, you should take this serious. Ranma is going to need an identity when he comes back, or we'll be in for a lot of headaches. I'm not too worried about the neighbors, but the authorities would sure prove a pain in the ass. Police, registration office, health department. They'd come knocking at our door sooner or later."  
  
"Sounds almost scary if you put it like that," Akane remarked without actually sounding too afraid. Scratching the cat between its ears, she looked expectantly at her sister. "But knowing you like I do big sister, I'm convinced that there's some failsafe plan in one of your drawers. Just for some freak emergency like this. Ain't I right?"  
  
"Gee," Nabiki moaned while scratching her own pet. "When have I become so bloody predictable? I've got to do something about this soon or my reputation will suffer. But well," she sighed melodramatically, "let's talk business…"  
  
-  
  
Neonlights painting their surroundings in the strangest colors, waging a saccharine war with the shadows of night. People mingling in groups of two or larger amidst the cinemas and theatres and restaurants and arcades of the amusement-district. Laughs and smiles on a myriad of faces. Hopeful glances, shy looks and oh-so accidental touches. The whole spectrum of Saturday-night anthropology.  
  
And amidst this writhing mass of potential procreation and good-natured lies, also known as compliments, makeup and strategically placed 'stuffing', a young couple walked in relative silence.  
  
The guy of the pair, just an assumptions based on purely visual data, and those had been forced into rectification a lot lately, walked with his hands in the pockets of his dark coat, head bowed and eyes invisible in the shadows of his cap. By the way he walked it was pretty obvious that he wasn't really in amusement mode at the moment, that with kicking at cans and stuff.  
  
The girl by his side didn't look too amused either. Once again, this is solely visual data and this so-called girl had a long standing history of fooling people concerning her gender. Wearing a dark pantskirt and a green blouse, her brown mane of hair falling freely over her shoulders for once, she looked pretty much as cheerful as her companion.  
  
"What's the problem now?" she suddenly muttered, sounding rather grumpy. A female kind of grumpy, admittedly. "I thought you wanted to go out with me."  
  
"That's not it," the boy replied distractedly, kicking another can right across the street. "I mean, I appreciate it and everything. You even closed your restaurant for this. It's just…" he liberated one hand from the depths of his coat to gesture helplessly in the air. "Honestly, I don't know what it is," he finally admitted with a shrug.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean," the girl agreed resignedly, idly grabbing another empty can from a wastebasket they passed and lobbing it in front of her companions feet. A sacrilege, especially in a tidy place like Japan, but she didn't really mind at the moment. Watching the can go flying clean over a passing car, she huffed, a reminiscent smile on her face.  
  
"You can't blame the movie though," she stated wryly, chuckling softly at some remembered scenes.  
  
"Course not," the boy agreed, his head perking up. "That's a Kevin Smith movie we're talking about! He's god! Though I sure could tell him an interesting thing or two about angels…" he added dryly.  
  
"HE's god?" the girl gave back tauntingly. "Funny, I thought HE was that fat prophet and god was a woman…"  
  
"Okay, point for you," the guy replied with a sagely nod. "Alannis is god. But since Smith's also the director, and therefore giving instructions to her, he's also …" He tilted his head, looking thoughtfully at his companion as he mused about Kevin Smith's position in the 'ViewAskew'-iverse **.  
  
"…her boss." He concluded, tapping the chin beneath his sudden smirk. "He's the god of god, that's what he is!"  
  
"Oh please," the girl exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. "And Jay's his prophet, right?"  
  
"Sure," the guy agreed happily while starting to count on his fingertips. "And the Metatron and Bartleby and Lok…"  
  
Suddenly he stopped his enumeration, hands frozen in midair, and his head snapped towards the opposite sidewalk. The girl next to him followed his gaze but couldn't tell what or who in the crowd on the other side had caught his attention. So she did the next best thing that came to her mind.  
  
"Kinyou, you okay?" she asked dubiously, waving a hand in front of her companion's face. He didn't react at first, except for a light frown creasing his brow. But then he shook his head, as if to clear it.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry Ukyou. But say, isn't that Kodachi over there?" he asked distractedly, his eyes still fixed at the other side.  
  
His companion scanned the distant crowd, searching for an overdressed, dark- haired girl with a haughty bearing and probably some bishonen-looking escort. Actually, she saw some that fit that description, but none of those resembled the less-than-level gymnast more than superficially.  
  
"Sorry," she said without too much regret, "I can't spot her anywhere."  
  
"There, by the streetlight," Kinyou supplied, pointing in the direction, "the girl in the blue jacket that's window-shopping. Got her back to us."  
  
"Huh? Where..?" Ukyou asked just before she spotted the indicated girl. It took her a moment to realize that this slightly hunched figure with the hands in the pockets of her relatively plain apparel was indeed the Kuno- girl.  
  
"Do you think we should go over?" Kinyou asked her while she was still wondering about the other girls unprecedented bearing. "Say hello or something?"  
  
"You got to be kidding," Ukyou replied distractedly before her head snapped back to glare at her companion. "Why should ANYONE want to…"  
  
What exactly anyone might want to or not was left unsaid though, mainly because Kinyou was already halfway across the street.  
  
---  
  
** Don't ask. If you got the reference, you won't need to. If not, it would take a couple of movies viewed at late hours in company of the right people and probably a couple of 'Becks'*** to explain.  
  
*** German Brand of Beer. Yummi.  
  
---  
  
Kodachi wasn't exactly sure what had made her go on a walk through this more lively part of town. Except for the fact that she simply had been unable to stay one more second in that over-endowed, lifeless crystal- palace she called home. Maybe it was the babble and laughing of the mingling crowd that had beckoned her. Even though she wasn't part of it, stumbling through the tangle of amusement-seekers without plan or destination, the life she felt pulsing around her, the chatter and background-noise, filled some of the void in the back of her mind.  
  
Had it really been only yesterday that reality had been proven nothing more than a sham of her own deluded family with the breaking of that oh-so sacred family-treasure?  
  
Had it really been only yesterday that her confidence, her guidance and beliefs had been exposed as the by-product of some century-old stupidity started by one of her foolish ancestors?  
  
Yes, it had.  
  
Staring at the window of a shop, Kodachi wondered about the girl that looked back at her. Dressed in a simple blouse and skirt-combo, a light jacket protecting her from the light chill of night, dark bangs shadowing a pale face with slightly puffy eyes. A pretty girl, maybe even beautiful, though that was hard to say with the pained expression she wore. Why was that? Had she cried? Kodachi wasn't sure, but that was okay. Lately she wasn't sure of a lot of things.  
  
Casting a last glance at her counterpart in the window, she turned on her heels, deciding to call it a night and return home before her mood slid completely down the drain. Just as she was about to round a corner, she heard a familiar voice call out to her.  
  
"Oi Kodachi, wait a sec," she heard Kinyou shout excitedly, waving at her from the middle of the street. At least she thought it was Kinyou. It was hard to tell since he was only a black silhouette against the headlights of the onrushing car behind him.  
  
-  
  
Einstein explained in his famous theory that time is actually relative instead of absolute.  
  
Kinyou would have done nothing but agreed to this, given the time to idly muse upon scientific philosophy. But as things were, that with those screeching brakes behind him, screams and shouts all around him and a sinking feeling in his stomach, he had other things on his mind.  
  
He saw the whole scene unfold slowly, just as if he were watching a movie in slow-motion.  
  
Kodachi, eyes widening, her face ghostly in the neonlights. Her mouth opening to scream a warning as one hand rose to point down the street.  
  
Camera pan to the left. The panicking, still half averted face of a driver who had spent too much of his attention on the girl next to him. His hands cramping around the wheel, his mouth working some inaudible prayers, or curses, as the vehicle sped nearer and nearer, hardly slowing down at all.  
  
Further pan of the camera, towards the other, nearer sidewalk. A crowd of people, surprised or shocked or even strangely eager expressions on their faces. Amidst them a wide-eyed Ukyou, trying to reach him but somehow restrained by the suddenly static crowd. One arm reaching out helplessly, unable to bridge the distance as she screamed his name.  
  
Close-up on his own person, trying to move, trying to order muscles to work at speeds that they were not designed for. To get him out of the way of, if not certain death, than at least a prolonged stay in a hospital of his choice, option for a rehab-facility included. His feet trying to use whatever purchase the wet asphalt of the street was willing to offer for a running start.  
  
His Phys.-Ed. Teacher might had been surprised at the sudden burst of speed he displayed, so unlike his usual sloughing self.  
  
It didn't matter though.  
  
Kinyou knew, from the very first step, that he would not make it in time.  
  
But you always have to try, don't you?  
  
'Shiiiiiiii…'  
  
Òne step.  
  
'…iiiiiiiii…'  
  
Two steps.  
  
'…iiiiiiiit !!!'  
  
Impact.  
  
The sound of steel hitting flash.  
  
Cries.  
  
Pain.  
  
And.  
  
Last but not least.  
  
Darkness.  
  
-  
  
It was almost midnight when the gate to the Tendo-residence swung open to admit the household's eldest daughter, weary but still giggling from tonight's excitements. Entering the house she sobered up, sneaking quietly towards the stairs so as to not wake her family. She needn't have bothered though, for at least both of her sisters were still up and calling out to her from the living-room.  
  
"Hey Kasumi, back already?" Akane greeted from where she lounged, a certain cat dozing peacefully next to her.  
  
"Can't have been much of a date then," Nabiki added with a grin. "If I go out I rarely come back before dawn."  
  
"Akane? Nabiki?" Kasumi asked slightly confused. "What are you still doing here at such a late hour?"  
  
"Late hour?" the two girls echoed synchronously, exchanging a meaningful look.  
  
"Well, maybe for you," Nabiki continued solo. "Considering that you usually retire around…?"  
  
"Ten o'clock," Akane supplied helpfully, "and that's on busy days."  
  
"Right," Nabiki agreed with a nod. "Whereas for other people, with a less busy schedule and a bit more of a social life…"  
  
"… it's not unheard of that they stay up all night to gang up and grill their favorite big sister after a date!" Akane finished happily.  
  
"So come here for a moment," Nabiki quipped, patting the place next to her. "Share with your sisters…"  
  
-  
  
--------  
  
Author's notes: Oh boy, me and my big mouth. This chapter took even longer than the last one. And the only excuse I've got is a five-day trip to Bavaria. Frightening thought, admittedly, but not much in the way of a justification. Anyway, I've recovered, I'm back with my computer, and I'm willing to write more. So the next chapter should be out faster than the last two. As if I wasn't promising something along those lines every time... :-)  
  
But enough of me and on to more important matters. Like my readers for example...  
  
Hello, Merlines Lil´girl? Hope you didn't suffocate. I mean three weeks is an awful long time to hold your breath. Hope it was worth it though.  
  
Hossa, Alagon, What do you mean? Beasts with bushy tails and girls DO mix! Else half of the Dragonball fanfics wouldn't work. (Hey, ask Lady Hella or Ttrin if you don't believe me!)  
  
Heyyy Lija. Got a cliffhanger again, wuahahahaha. C'mon, the last one didn't really count, except if you are especially interested in P-Chan's welfare. But then you'll hate to hear that I plan to get rid of the lil bugger by the end of this fic. Wuahahaha. (Again.)  
  
Aaargh, Foxboy. Got me again. I guess great minds DO think alike. A little hint. Ranma's new sensei's gonna stink.  
  
Hmm, Quick. Thanks, I guess. (That's quick, huh?)  
  
And finally, Makotois and Suya. Thanks guys. Hope your not disappointed that lil bacon ain't got more than a shock and a little panic attack. But then again, he just lost his favorite sleeping-spot to some black-furred nightmare. He's gonna have to sleep with Nabiki now. *snicker*. Poor lil piggy. Bwahahahaha!  
  
Err, as I was saying, that's it for now.  
  
See ya next week. (Hopefully)  
  
-R.Martin- 


	15. Rise and shine

There's a skeleton in everybody's closet  
  
I can think of one or two in my own room  
  
But I would like to introduce them both to you  
  
You'd shake their bony hands and so dispell the gloom  
  
-  
  
'Cause you're so kind  
  
I know you would not mind  
  
You'd send away the ghosts that haunt me now  
  
And the things I fear  
  
Just wouldn't seem so near  
  
And when I stroll out late at night  
  
There would be nothing rattling at my hells  
  
-  
  
(Excerpt from CRASH TEST DUMMIES LYRICS - "The Ghosts That Haunt Me")  
  
----------  
  
1 SOUL HEIR  
  
----------  
  
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.  
  
-  
  
CHAPTER 15: Rise and shine  
  
-  
  
"Ouch," Kinyou groaned as he slowly, and very painfully too, regained consciousness. "Did anyone get the number of the donkey-cart?"  
  
"Would that help with the headache?" an amused voice inquired from behind him.  
  
"Na, probably not," the boy agreed, rubbing his temples. Or trying to. Oh, he sure succeeded with putting his hand to his head. It was just that he was unable to feel the touch, as his hand as well as the skin covering his head seemed totally numb. That somehow managed to totally mess up the point of the gesture. Not to mention that it was kind of scary.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" he exclaimed in regard of the unpleasant sensation, or lack thereof. "Did someone get me an overdose of pain-killers or something?"  
  
"You wish," the voice from before remarked dryly, chuckling to some private joke.  
  
It was a female voice, most definitely. A deep soprano, very melodious but also a little unsettling, like the voice of someone laughing at their own funeral.  
  
It sure wasn't Ukyou's voice, nor was it Kodachi's, or the voice of anyone else he could name on short notice. He had heard it before though, of that he was pretty sure.  
  
Opening his eyes to take in his surroundings, he found himself slightly confused by what he saw.  
  
"Say," he asked his still invisible host, "is it just me or did anyone go overboard with the whitewash? I mean, even for a hospital this is a real dull color-scheme."  
  
"Well," the voice from behind him replied. "Lucky then that you're not in a hospital anyway, isn't it?"  
  
That one made Kinyou's head snap up and around, looking for the mysterious woman at his back.  
  
"Oi, if this ain't no hosp…"  
  
This was about as far as he came before he recognized just who exactly he was talking to.  
  
-  
  
"So, what exactly is this place?" Kinyou asked the woman lounging on a, of course white, couch opposite of him. She was beautiful, to say the least. Lustrous black hair hanging over her slim shoulders, exposed by the generous cut of her expensive looking, and, no surprise here, white cocktail dress. Expressive dark eyes, containing maybe a hint of lavender, contrasting the otherwise fair complexion of her facial features. Ruby lips smiling to expose, three guesses allowed, white teeth.  
  
While this was all very picturesque, and maybe a bit sexy considering the way this woman lay sprawled across the couch, the little girl she held cradled in her lap was enough to keep Kinyou's hormones in line. It was a small girl, maybe four or five years old, dressed in a simple white dress and generally something akin to a miniature version of the woman. The kid seemed shy towards Kinyou, though she smiled at him when she wasn't hiding her face in the crook of the woman's arm.  
  
"I thought you're kind of an expert on the afterworld," the lounging lady told him with an amused smile. "Can't you figure it out yourself?"  
  
"Maybe," Kinyou replied casually, taking a good look at his homogeneously white surroundings. "Let's see, this ain't exactly the afterworld. More like something in between, like Limbo…"  
  
"How can you tell?" the woman asked him in mild curiosity, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"You see, " Kinyou explained, flashing something of a knowing smile, "even I can't visit the afterworld just like that. It takes a special place and a lot of preparations to do that. Or I could die of course. But I haven't, not yet at least."  
  
"What makes you so sure that you're still alive?" the woman inquired further. "You HAVE been in a car accident after all."  
  
"Trust me," Kinyou replied, the smile enlarging to a broad grin, "if I really had died I wouldn't be talking to YOU right now. Ain't no way the Ankh-Girl would pass up a chance to tease me about something like that personally…"  
  
This answer seemed to amuse his host, as she leaned back her head and laughed. A pleasant, crystal sound that somehow reverberated deep down in the boy's belly, making his skin tingle.  
  
"You do have a really exotic taste when it comes to choosing friends," she told him amusedly once her laughter had died down. "Though I guess that's why you're so perfect for the job."  
  
-  
  
"Come on, you've got to be joking," Kinyou exclaimed nervously and more than a little confused. "Come on, I'm sorry if we scrapped that precious little sword of yours, but your son hardly left us any choice in that matter. And you can hardly blame me for that stupid accident either. I mean, that's why it's called an 'accident', 'cause nobody planned it. So how's this my fault?"  
  
The woman lounging opposite of where he sat gave him a lazy smile, stroking the hair of the small girl that lay curled up in her lap. In some strange way, this made the pair look like some strange reincarnation of Blomfeld and his cat.  
  
"But you do have to admit," the woman reminded Kinyou, apparently rather unimpressed by his dissent, "without your interference, whether it proved good or bad for anyone else, my daughter would hardly be as confused or as frightened as she is right now."  
  
As if on cue, the little girl started to whimper again, burying her face in the woman's arm and causing her to intensify the stroking and make some soothing noises.  
  
"I'm not saying that all of this is your fault," the woman continued once the kid had calmed down somewhat. "That's hardly possible. But you do have to take responsibility for your part in this anyway. Not to mention that you owe her. If she hadn't pushed you out of the way, then that car would have hit YOU instead."  
  
"Well, probably," Kinyou admitted weakly, his throat suddenly dry as he pictured the consequences of that scenario. The idea that Kodachi should have to pay for his own carelessness didn't sit too well with him. Maybe Mrs. Kuno wasn't completely wrong about the effects of his other actions on her daughter either.  
  
"But say," he continued a little more briskly, " if I'd agreed for one moment, just theoretically, that you might have something of a point. What would I have to do then? Purely hypothetically speaking of course."  
  
The woman on the couch gave him a sly smile while the small kid peeked at him curiously from out of the security of her mother's embrace, just as if she finally sensed the importance of this conversation.  
  
"You would have to look after her for a while," the late Mrs. Kodachi explained merrily. "Don't worry, I'm not talking about twenty-four-hours service. But someone has to give her the feeling that she's not all alone in the world. And if that someone could also help her find a few friends, that would be just perfect. Hypothetically speaking …," she added with a wink.  
  
"Hmmm, doesn't sound too bad," Kinyou remarked thoughtfully, his head tilted as he glanced at the small girl. It wasn't easy for him to equate this shy little sweetheart to the stylish rose-breeding gal with the tricky temper he had first encountered yesterday. But then again, he HAD seen stranger things in his young life.  
  
"I mean, Ukyou told me a lot of weird stories about Kodachi but… I dunno. I kind of like her anyway. And she sure is… interesting."  
  
"I'm convinced that pretty face of hers doesn't hurt either…," Mrs. Kuno added dryly, causing poor Kinyou to blush. Obviously that thought had crossed his mind too.  
  
-  
  
"Mommy,.." the little girl whimpered pitifully, her head buried in the chest of the woman she clung to.  
  
"What is it Rosebud?" Mrs. Kuno replied cautiously while nuzzling the kids head.  
  
"Dun't wanna go back…" the kid stated in a muffled voice that sounded sad and stubborn at the same time.  
  
"And why is that?" the woman inquired, whispering into the small one's ear.  
  
Looking up with a wide, teary-eyed expression of the kind that always gets a kid those new toys, the little girl sniffed at her mother.  
  
"Everyone there hates me, even Tachi and Daddy," the kid mumbled, playing with the lapels of her dress. "The servants too, 'cuz they're scared. And nobody ever comes to visit, 'xcept Ranma sometimes and I always have to make him. And he's not coming anymore, even if 'Kane says he will be back, 'cuz if she's not lying then it's only 'cause he likes 'Kane so much and then he won't come over anyway," she finished with a pout.  
  
"Now there, Sweetheart. Didn't that nice Kinyou-boy just promised to come over," the woman reminded her daughter, tapping the point of the little one's nose, "or don't you want him to...?"  
  
Kodachi averted her gaze and mumbled something under her breath that Kinyou, although sitting not more than a few feet away, couldn't manage to understand, except for the mention of Ukyou's name. Her mother though did, and judging by the grin she wore the kid must have said something rather amusing.  
  
"Oh, I don't know," he heard the late Mrs. Kuno explain to her daughter, and suddenly Kinyou noticed both of their gazes being on him. "Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe you're just chicken. But you'll never find out if you stay here, Rosebud …"  
  
-  
  
A district in downtown Tokyo at night. Throngs of folks, dressed to kill and mingling through neon-lighted streets. Many of them might be on course for the movies and others are sure heading for the arcades. Theaters and musicals are 'In' again this season too, so a lot of people might be in for an exciting night full of Shakespeare and Wagner. Or Kabuki, this IS Japan after all.  
  
Though whatever intermediate destination the members of the entertainment- hungry crowd were heading for , they always had time for a light snack 'To Go'.  
  
Like hanging around the scene of an accident.  
  
Making stupid comments about how this can't have been such a real bad accident because there's no entrails splattered across the street.  
  
Blocking the ambulance.  
  
'Now that train-crash last year , there's been entrails all over the place. And limbs and blood…'  
  
Blocking and hindering the paramedics from doing their job.  
  
'Now during the big quake, there was this school bus crashing down from the highway…'  
  
Funny how, with all those people around that would literally kill to give an interview should a TV crew show up, there's not one soul that can tell the police what color the car had. Or what the driver looked like. Or what the license-plate read.  
  
'Now there's this guy who had… Oh, sorry Officer. No, we're just passing through. Didn't see a thing, sorry. Now were was I? A yeah, you see, he got his hand stuck in this huge machine…'  
  
And in the center of this industrious and helpful members of society, there's usually an area where those 'Braves' dare not tread. Mostly because of the imminent danger of spoiling their Gucci-suits.  
  
That area is were you tend to find the victims, the doctors and the otherwise associated personal.  
  
And, this might be a little unexpected if one is not familiar with the circumstances, one furious Okonomijaki-chef.  
  
-  
  
"Oh come on Kinyou," Ukyou barked towards the passed-out boy on the sidewalk, "I know that you're fine. So if you wouldn't mind to join us mere mortals again, I'd greatly appreciate that. I'm serious, really."  
  
"Misses," the paramedic on Kinyou's other side pleaded, completely helpless facing this bundle of female wrath, "would you please stop strangling my patient."  
  
"I'm not strangling him," Ukyou contradicted vehemently, shaking Kinyou's torso via her death-grip on the collar of his shirt. "Not yet anyway. Wait 'till he's back on his feet again. THEN you might have to restrain me…"  
  
-  
  
Now every male specimen of the human variety who finds himself awakening to a threatening situation usually has a hardwired survival instinct that rules this wakeup process.  
  
Usually these instincts tell him to jump up, roar in an as intimidating manner as possible to startle possible aggressors and grab the next blunt or, even more preferable, sharp object to wield against the threat disturbing his peaceful slumber. Considering that nowadays a lot of guy's aren't exactly what one might call intimidation-material, this fact is always good for a couple of laughs in summer camp. Not so in the army though. Those clown that try the same trick there soon find out that there are a LOT more dangerous things lying next to the sleepers of a drill-camp than next to those back in Camp 'Poccateewacca'…  
  
Anyway, as evolution continued and brought forth such funny stuff as monogamy, household-chores and hangovers, additional survival traits began to surface in modern men. Or in those that made it as far as modern manhood anyway. The others, well, if you know your Darwin then you know what happened to those. Right, they started a strip-show named after some style of furniture-ornamentation.  
  
But back again to the majority of guys, those still dressed. They soon found a way to distinguish between a male-shaking-awake, in which case they reacted as described above, or a female-shaking-awake, which demanded a completely different strategy.  
  
Like the 'PDUSGU' for example. The 'Play dead until she gives up'- strategy. It consists mostly of relaxing the body to the point where it takes on most of the properties of a wet sack of sand, plus keeping your eyes closed no matter what. This works pretty well if you're the ignorant type and prefer a light concussion to bringing out the garbage. Incidentally, this covers about ninety-five percent of the male population of this planet.  
  
The remaining five percent have been reported to utilize an even more effective, if somewhat dangerous technique that, even though considered extremely potent if applied successfully, somehow failed to get them past the aforementioned five-percent. This was mostly due to the dangers of applying the technique NOT successfully.  
  
As you will soon be able to understand.  
  
-  
  
The first sign of Kinyou coming around again were a fluttering of eyelids and a low moan. Registering this, Ukyou changed her grip on his collar to a one-handed version and used her now free hand to help her friend recover. In other words, she slapped him. Not too brutally though.  
  
"It's about damn time…!" she commented as his eyes finally opened fully, or at least stayed at fifty percent continuously. "What have you been doing anyway? And don't give me the 'unconscious'-crap, I know you better than that by now..."  
  
"Misses?" the paramedic interrupted her in a voice that didn't actually sound like he was expecting to get his wish fulfilled, "could you please let me do my job here?" His pleas were as ignored as he had obviously expected, mostly because Kinyou used this interruption to Ukyou's slapping- spree for his own ends.  
  
"U… Ukyou…" he coughed weakly, one hand rising feebly for her shoulder while he rested the other one on his chest. "Is that… you…?"  
  
"Of course it is, stupid," the girl replied flippantly, and maybe a tad, tiny, itsy bit concerned. "Or would you have prefered someone else?"  
  
"U… Ukyou…" Kinyou repeated in a raspy voice, the hand on his chest making beckoning gestures while the one on her shoulder tried to pull her closer, though with hardly any power behind it. "There's.. something… I've … got to…"  
  
"K… Kinyou?" Ukyou began to mimic his speech-pattern involuntarily, her concern more obvious now. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you…"  
  
"Ahem… Misses?" the paramedic tried once more, his sense of duty prevailing against his own survival-instincts. "If you gave me a minute I could tell you…"  
  
"Oh would you please shut up," the girl shot back, obviously not interested in the proposal. "He's got nothing broken and nothing pierced so if he's got internal damage I doubt that YOU could…"  
  
"U… Ukyou…" Kinyou coughed once again, and rather pathetically too. It was enough though to cause the young chef's head to snap back towards him. She even scuttled a little closer, corresponding to his frail gestures.  
  
"What is it Kinyou?" she asked, a hint of insecurity entering her voice as she leaned in further.  
  
"I… I wanted… I need to… to tell you… that…" the boy wheezed, looking pretty strained as his hand wandered from the girls shoulder to her neck, directing her ear even closer to his mouth.  
  
"It's nice to know that you care…" he finished in a suddenly much firmer, almost giddy voice. And while he was at it, that with having her off balance for once, Kinyou used the opportunity to place a quick kiss on her cheek.  
  
-  
  
"NOW you can look after him," Ukyou told the paramedic as she dusted off her hands and walked off in a huff. Critically inspecting the remains of the boy he had come to treat in the first place, he wondered if that guy would have looked any worse if he HAD actually been hit by that car. That other girl that had pushed him out of the way and taken the brunt of the crash hadn't looked half as mangled. But then again, 'hand-crafted' beats 'mechanically-produced' nine times out of ten anyway.  
  
Just as the poor man began his work with picking up the knotted limbs from the impressions in the pavement, to check them for the multiple fractures that simply had to have occurred, he was suddenly confronted with the sight of Kinyou pulling his face out of the ground with a wet sound and a broad grin on his face. Not a nice thing to behold, especially for someone who is quite profound with what a human body should be able to withstand, and what not. It somehow reminded the poor paramedic of more than one Horror-flic he had watched during the long late hours of emergency-service.  
  
Kinyou for his part noticed the stare of the man, pale of face and shaky of bearing, and simply winked conspiratively at him.  
  
"Don't worry," he stated good-naturedly, "this ain't as bad as it looks. She always pulls her punches 'gainst whimps like me."  
  
"Th.. those p… punches were p… pulled?" the nervous medic asked in disbelief, his wide-eyed gaze traversing towards a certain girl who stood nearby with her back to them.  
  
"Just light slaps an' stuff," Kinyou confirmed while straightening his clothes and dusting them off as much as possible.  
  
"Trust me," he continued nonchalantly as he walked by the gulping man towards the spot were tonight's other crash-victim still lay unmoving, "if this girl ever gets serious, you won't have enough of me left to treat…"  
  
-  
  
  
  
At the moment, Dr. Ashimura wasn't a happy camper. To tell the truth, he wasn't even close to happy, not to mention that he would have hated camping anyway. You see, Dr. Ashimura had been on his way to the cinema in the company of a beautiful young lady, when they happened to witness the accident from the sidelines. Now, while the doctor was a happily married man, it wasn't the beautiful young lady he was happily married to, and so he had no plans at making a public appearance, Hippocratic oath or not.  
  
But the young lady clinging to his arm had obviously seen this as the perfect opportunity to brag with her new 'boyfriend', dragging him towards the crowd while shouting 'doctor coming through' at the top of her lungs.  
  
Feeling himself pulled through the surrounding wall of onlookers with a force belying his companion's slight frame, Dr. Ashimura had hardly any choice but to play along, lest he draw even more attention to his person than necessary.  
  
There had been two victims in the crash. One was a boy who didn't look too worse for wear, considering the circumstances, the other was a girl that would have been pretty attractive if she had not recently kissed the grill of a car. That had kind of put a damper on even the doctor's usually rather vivid libido. The blood and the acute danger of internal damage bringing forth the professional in the doctor had helped with that too.  
  
Acting mostly on automatic, the doctor had performed a quick check on the boy before giving instructions to his worried companion, yet another pretty girl he sadly had no opportunity to cherish.  
  
Now that he had been free to concentrate solely on his more critical patient, he had begun to notice one or two peculiar things. Like that this girl, for someone who had been hit by a car going with something around forty miles an hour, was in a fairly good shape. Most of the visible blood came from a lot of lacerations, and though there were a couple of cuts, they were shallow. As far as he could say without x-rays, there were no fractures, though one of her ankles had begun swelling. With no fractures and nothing pierced, the chances of internal bleeding were rather slim, but you never knew. And after all, the girl had not regained consciousness yet, so there was a the probability of a concussion. Well, better a concussion then a coma, the doctor mused. Coma patients always make it to the news…  
  
So while the ambulance had finally arrived and stood ready to transport the girl to the nearest hospital, the doctor pulled about every trick from up his sleeve to force her back to consciousness.  
  
Nothing had worked though. Not slaps, nor pinches, nor obscure Shiatsu- points one of his colleagues from Nerima had shown him once. Well, maybe he should have paid attention back then, but there was this gorgeous redhead coming down the street…  
  
Well, at least the girl seemed stable at the moment, unlike the doctor's companion for the night, who frankly looked bored out of her skull. Faced with the decision between another futile round of 'waking the sleeping beauty' or salvaging what was left of the evening, preferably in a more private setting, the doctor didn't really have to think too hard.  
  
Just as he was about to stand up and call the paramedic to wheel his patient off, someone tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me," a voice that sounded as if it belonged to a young man, a concerned one for that matter, addressed him from behind. "Is she going to be okay?"  
  
Turning around and looking up the doctor suddenly found himself face to face with the accident's other victim, someone who should be resting on a stretcher himself.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he replied slightly peeved by the lack of respect in the inquiry. "Can't you see that you're disturbing my work? Go back and bother your own medic."  
  
"Oh I'd love to," Kinyou replied amiably, "only problem is that my medic ran away screaming a moment ago."  
  
Stepping around the doctor, Kinyou kneeled down on Kodachi's other side, tilting his head as he did a visual scan of the girl that had basically saved his butt.  
  
"So, are you gonna tell me if she's gonna be okay or won't you?" Kinyou inquired casually.  
  
"She's just fine," the doctor replied grumpily, seemingly trying to set fire to the boy by pure force of gaze. "No fractures, no concussions, only a couple of bruises and abrasions and maybe a twisted ankle. The only problem is that she should have woken up by now. There is of course always the danger of brain damage…"  
  
"You didn't use the 'magic' word then, did you?" the boy asked the doctor with a wry smile.  
  
"That doesn't sound exactly like a treatment they taught at MY university," the doctor replied, sarcasm dripping like a leaking boiler.  
  
"Then watch this," Kinyou stated as he leaned down, bringing his lips next to Kodachi's left ear.  
  
"Rise and shine, rosebud," the doctor managed to overhear, though with difficulties. "Rise and shi-hine."  
  
For a couple of moments nothing happened, and finally Dr. Ashimura turned to Kinyou with a self-satisfied smirk prominent on his face.  
  
"Well, so much for 'magic' words, wouldn't you say?" he stated, and if anything the leakage of sarcasm had increased.  
  
"Oh, but I haven't spoken the 'magic' word, yet…" Kinyou assured him, lowering his head once more next to Kodachi's.  
  
"Rise and shine, rosebud," the doctor heard him whisper again. Though the pure force behind the 'magic' word that came next made the doctor regret that he had leaned closer and strained his ears so.  
  
"PLEEEEAASSE!!!"  
  
-  
  
A shout, a sudden sit-up, two heads clashing in midair.  
  
"Ouch," the doctor and a suddenly very awake, and probably already regretting this fact, Kodachi exclaimed simultaneously, daintily rubbing their respective foreheads.  
  
"See, it worked," Kinyou exclaimed triumphantly, ignoring the glares from the pair in front of him as he sat down on his rear.  
  
"You could have warned me," the doctor complained, his gaze shooting daggers at the laughing boy. Kodachi for her part wasn't that vocal. With a dangerous gleam in her eyes she jumped to her feet, hand raised for a slap or a shove or whatever it was a martial-artist might do in a situation like that. Too bad that her injured foot buckled under her weight and threw her off target. Or rather ON her target.  
  
Falling forward with a pained shriek, she took Kinyou with her, both doing the good ol' sandwich impersonation on the sidewalk.  
  
"Hey, you okay?" Kinyou asked concernedly once he had his breath back and an idea where to put his hands without appearing like a complete pervert.  
  
"My… my foot," Kodachi hissed through clenched teeth. "Hurts like hell…"  
  
"Yeah, the doc said something like that it would," Kinyou agreed apologetically while rolling them both to the side, cautious not to further aggravate the girl's bad foot as he sat her down on the ground again. "He said something about concussions too. I guess that means we're going to spend the night at the hospital."  
  
"We do?" Kodachi asked in surprise, sounding almost relieved while she sat and cautiously tested her injured foot. "Good!"  
  
"Good?" Kinyou simply asked, raising an eyebrow at her unexpected delight by a prospect like that.  
  
"Yep," the girl affirmed with a shrug. "I guess everything's fine that saves me from going home …"  
  
-  
  
Not too far away, though hardly just around the corner, someone else was also due for a little 'wakey-wakey'.  
  
And though the chances were rather slim that the one responsible for the waking-up would be using sheer volume of voice to do the deed, that did by no means have to say that he would be nice about it.  
  
"… will vous wake up alreadyé? Or do je 'ave to piss on your visage?"  
  
"…grumph?" the one on the other end of the wake-up process queried sleepily. "Not you Pépé. Please?"  
  
"As much as je 'ate to be de bearer of bad news," a nasal voice speaking in a badly accentuated French/Japanese mishmash replied, "je fear cet cis truly est moi, you old ami, Pépé!"  
  
"Aww man…" the no-longer-sleeper complained wearily, pawing at his face as he rolled over on his resting-place to face his visitor. "What do you want? It's the middle of the night, ever noticed that?"  
  
"Tss, tss, …" Pépé admonished mockingly, stepping forward into a convenient beam of moonlight. "Already forgot cet it's time pour your cat-training? Et cats do love to train tout le nuit… "  
  
"C… c… cats ?! " Ranma basically screeched in sudden panic as the full spectrum of his current situation came crashing down on top of him. The image of a grinning tomcat set off by moonlight right in front of his face didn't really help either.  
  
-  
  
-----  
  
-  
  
Author's note: Yay! Only two weeks this time! I'm improving. But honestly, I hope I get back to the my weekly rhythm, mainly because that way I'd be able to finish this story in about five or six weeks. Translates to an equal amount of chapters, quite obviously. There would be two advantages for me if I managed to pull this of.  
  
For one thing it would save me a lot of 'I'm late, I'm late, the Queen, the Queen!!!'  
  
And I could maybe get some of those other stories out of my head an onto paper. Half of them Dragonball X-overs. Damn you to Hella, Lady... this is all your fault! And TTrin's, obviously. :-)  
  
-  
  
Hey, hello makotojs! Sorry for the lack of cruelty. I'll make up for it once Happosai pops up again... wuhahahaha ™.  
  
Bonjour lija. Did you read the authour's notes? Being one of my most senior readers, do you doubt the part about the 5-6 chapters? Not just you, trust me. But I'm doing my best to get a wrap on this story, preferably without amputations. Oh, and yes, P-Chan IS gonna be a Gonner... wuaha (again...)  
  
Oi, Zsych, I'm pretty predicable when it comes to a certain couple, so nobody ought to be too surprised here. And about torturing Akane before the wedding... Ranma's already doing a nice job there. And who said anything about Ranma not being in that chapter...? :-)  
  
And finally Ryoshu, thanks, thanks and thanks again. I love to share as long as I've still got the impression that just one of you guys is willing to read it.  
  
-  
  
So long, and thanks for all the fish...  
  
R.Martin 


	16. First Steps

Come over here  
  
All you got is this moment  
The twenty-first century's yesterday  
You can care all you want  
Everybody does yeah that's okay  
  
So slide over here  
And give me a moment  
Your moves are so raw  
I've got to let you know  
I've got to let you know  
You're one of my kind  
  
I need you tonight  
'Cause I'm not sleeping  
There's something about you girl  
That makes me sweat  
  
How do you feel  
I'm lonely  
What do you think  
Can't take it all  
Whatcha gonna do  
Gonna live my life

(Lyrics: INXS - Need You Tonight )

----------

SOUL HEIR 

----------

A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin

-

Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a  few that sprang from mine. Trust me, you'll notice the difference. 

-

**CHAPTER 16:  First Steps**

-

"Hospitals," Kinyou groaned dejectedly as he leaned against a wall. "Don't you just have to love them?"

"Oh shuddup ya whining, wontcha…" Ukyou, who had almost managed to drift off into a light slumber, mumbled from her precarious position, lying across a couple of small plastic torture-platforms, a.k.a. seats, in this oh-so bright and tastefully decorated waiting-area. 

"There's some folks here who _do_ try to get some rest, you know?" she added in spite of her alleged wish for silence.

"To me it looks more like a lot of folks here do their damn best to avoid going to their rest …," Kinyou replied darkly, his eyes never leaving the ground on obvious purpose.

Hesitantly opening one eye,  Ukyou cast a questioning glance across the waiting room, only to be greeted by the same boring, and quite deserted, scene that had presented itself before she had decided on a little nap. She was just about to put this observation in words, and very flowery ones at that, when she remembered Kinyou's special 'talent'. Tough job, considering said talent had been her reason to invite him to Nerima.

"Huh?" she voiced, suddenly snapping into a sitting position. "You don't mean…"

"Hmmm…" Kinyou confirmed with a slight nod. "Half a dozen minimum." 

Passing a sidelong glance at Ukyou's pale expression , he chuckled humorlessly. 

"Well, can't say it's unexpected…" he added with a shrug.  "This is an Emergency Room. Can't expect them to save everyone…"

-

"I can't believe this!" a female and obviously very agitated voice complained from out of one of the nearby booths. "How dare you mare the leg of a Kuno with such sloppy work as this?"

"Listen kid," a gruff and throaty, but basically also female voice replied unimpressed. "This is a very professionally done, very fashionable cast fresh from the catwalks of Milano. Back in school you'll be the envy of all of your friends…"

There was a moments silence before the first voice spoke up again.

"You surely do not actually expect me to believe this outrageous tale?" it inquired, carrying a healthy dose of sarcasm.

"Actually," the second voice replied obviously unfazed, "I expect you to stop whining like a spoiled little brat. This is a public institution, not some fancy beauty-clinic. In case Milady hasn't noticed yet."

With that a door got pushed open and a burly six foot ten nurse that looked like something out of the Soviet Swimming Cadre pushed a wheelchair  into the waiting area. A wheelchair carrying a rather agitated scion of the proud House of Kuno, a brand-new, bright-neon-yellow cast  adorning her left foot and calf proudly leading the way.

-

"Hey, when can I open my eyes again?" Ranma asked in light irritation, his head automatically swiveling towards the last confirmed position of his companion as he trudged blindly in the direction he had been sent to.

"Alors," a heavily-accented voice replied from a completely unexpected angle to his left, doing a great job at startling the only recently revived martial artist, "you mais open votre eyes comme-ever vous veux. Just ne pas panique again. "

" Oh, ehehe… " Ranma replied with a huge sweat-drop appearing on his brow. "Forgot about that, sorry."

"Ahh, don't sweat it," Pépé's telltale burr purred, a Cheshire-cat grin audible in every syllable he spoke. "Nous are going to de-sensibilisé vous toute suite. " 

"Ah yeah ? " Ranma asked, his curiosity piqued in spite of the hackles suddenly rising on his neck. "And how exactly are you planning to do that, huh?"

"C'est vraiment simple," Pépé replied, the audible grin if anything than getting broader, "we're going to have you a little Self-help group meeting."

-

Tossing and turning in her sleep, Akane reached out, her hands blindly searching for something  that the subconscious part of her mind kept telling her was missing.  Not that she was paying it much attention. After all,  most of it was kept busy by this wonderful dream about Ranma, some cabbages, a pot of honey, a certain pigtailed guy, sausages, one pound of spinach,  a pint of rum and, for dessert, a banana-split the size of the USS Enterpise with the heir of the Saotome branch of 'Anything Goes' School of Martial-Arts as the cherry on top of it.

Something along those lines, anyway.

So she might be excused if it took her a while to notice that a certain cat that had graciously shared the bed with her  had suddenly vanished. More accurately, it was no small miracle that she as much as blinked an eye at the feline's disappearance. Considering that her very own, if only imaginary, pervert was just preparing to give her the mother of all massages, hence the whipped-cream and the horseradish, nobody would have thought any the worse of her for sleeping past the next couple of days, the expiry date of said cream and maybe even Judgment Day.

But as things stood, Dream-Ranma got no further chance to fulfill his 'husbandly duties' (and then some…), that with the aimless flapping of her own limb finally drawing Akane's attention from out of the range of NC17-fantasies back upon the safe shores of  a more mundane 'PG-Rating. She might have made it all the way back to 'G', but considering the unpleasantness of  having that dream interrupted she was still in the mood for some light swearing.

Reasoning that, since she was awake now and probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for a while, she could as well take advantage  of the situation, Akane got up to head for the bathroom. 

-

"Well hi," a voice spoke from out of the darkness, "my name is Silver, and I'm kinda nervous around everything electric. Maybe its those sizzling sounds or the way it makes your hair stand up all over your body, dunno. But it really, really gives me the creeps… And that's not very funny with all those gears and tools and gimmicks all over the place nowadays. Let me tell you a story…"

-

This was most definitely a new one for Kodachi. Possessing a broad experience when it came to entrances grand and colorful, this simple 'getting wheeled in by mutated nurse' managed what a multitude of more professionally staged ones never accomplished. 

Someone seemed honestly glad to see her!

Well, not Ukyou of course, which didn't faze Kodachi in the slightest, but Kinyou's face lit up as soon as he noticed her. Pushing off the wall he had leaned on, the boy rushed over, inquiring whether she was okay and such while almost forcefully wrestling the wheelchair out of the monster-nurse's grip. Completely ignoring the complaints coming from behind him, Kinyou made speed towards the exit, obvious relief written all over his face.

This seemed most peculiar to Miss Kuno.

So was the sudden blush she felt accumulating on her cheeks. 

-

Returning from the bathroom, Akane found herself faced with an age-old problem. The fact that once you gave in to your bladder in the middle of the night, you're not going to get back to sleep anytime soon. Though the fact that a certain cat was still missing admittedly played some part in that too. So with the road to dreamland thus barred, Akane decided to head down and take a look around. Maybe she would stumble across the furred food-shredder. The kitchen sounded like a pretty likely place to find him. So did Nabiki's room, though Akane was pretty sure that she would have noticed if the cat had tried to hunt down P-Chan again. The poor little thing had been extremely jumpy  ever since that first encounter. Come to think of it, so was Ryouga. Funny how he reacted the first time he ran into the cat. You'd almost think that he had been the one that was thrown into the pit with fish strapped all over his body…

-

_"H.. Hello, my name is Enny…" a new, and obviously female voice spoke up weakly from another point in the darkness.  "I.. I'm a Maincoon, a purebred. You'd think that I should be taking part in competitions and… and exhibition… but… but they wouldn't even let me breed. You see, I was the last one of the litter… the least one… They said that I'm not good enough… and sometimes that makes me feel so… so insignificant…"_

-

It was a strange procession taking place in the Emergency Ward of the Nerima General Hospital. Or rather , it was a strange chase. Kodachi, screeching and clinging to her wheelchair, practically flew down the corridors and out through the reception area , propelled by a Kinyou who frantically shouted his 'outa da way's to personal and patients alike. 

`Behind them jogged Ukyou, who still hadn't decided whether she should die of shame for getting caught in such a undignified situation in a public area, or simply laugh along to the childish display in front of her.

And stomping yet behind those three like a freight-train on a rampage, and this is where the comparison to a chase comes in handy, the monster-nurse from the nightshift ran ranting and cursing 'them young punks' and that 'snotty spoiled brat'. Actually, she also shouted something about forms to fill out before departing, and Kinyou or Ukyou might have headed that call, being the upright, law-abiding citizens they were. But considering the most likely consequence of stepping on the break, namely a tumbled heap with Nursezilla on top, they considered staying 'upright' a priority to staying 'law-abiding'. 

So they simply kept on running, out through the entrance, across the parking-lot and straight into the night. 

-

Coming down to the kitchen, Akane was rather surprised to find the lights still on and her oldest sister sitting on the bare ground with a cup of tea held between both of her hands. Stepping into the light, she addressed her, cautious not to startle the girl out of her thoughts.

"Hey Kasumi, you still awake?" she asked rather pointlessly.

"Huh? Oh, hello Akane," the older girl answered distractedly, looking up from her crouched position with a slightly frayed-looking smile. "So you're having problems with sleeping too? Wait a moment, I'll pour you a cup too. That'll help…"

She moved to stand up but Akane intercepted her, placing herself between Kasumi and the teapot. 

"Hey, I'm old enough to pour it myself," she chided playfully, grabbing a cup and filling it. "It's not as if I'm trying anything dangerous to your precious kitchen. Like actually boiling the water…" she added with a smirk. Noticing her sister's startled expression she smiled apologetically while carefully setting down the pot again.

"Aww come on sis, it was a joke ," Akane stated as she settled down next to Kasumi. "Stop looking so glum…"

"I know, I know…," the older girl replied with a small smile. "It's just… for a second you sounded an awful lot like Ranma…"

"Is that a fact?" Akane asked mildly surprised. When Kasumi affirmed her claim with a simple nod she just shrugged, a wistful smile adorning her lips. 

"Figures that the jerk would someday rub off on me," she moaned dramatically. "I guess that's the punishment for hanging around him too much."

"Well, I don't think that the speech patterns are the most perilous part of his acquaintance…" Kasumi remarked in a rather moody voice, her eyes fixed on her tea's surface.

Taken aback by the rather untypical remark, Akane tilted her head as if to get a better view of the girl sitting next to her. 

Taking in her slightly hunched posture, the almost indiscernible frown creasing her brow, the light rocking motion of the upper body. 

The tapping of her fingers on a pot holding tea she had yet to sip.

"Hey Kasumi," Akane asked a little worried," is something troubling you…?"

"Why…?" the other girl replied simply in a quiet voice.

"Well, you sure look like something's bugging you and…" Akane began to explain only to get interrupted.

"Why Ranma…?" Kasumi demanded in the same eerily quiet voice, though it somehow started to fray at the edges.

"Kasumi?" Akane replied in confusion while all of her instincts were rapidly categorizing the situation as 'DEFCON-4', "what are you talking about…?"

Finally lifting her head, Kasumi looked at her sister with a strange gleam in her eyes and sporting signs of waterworks in the making that might rival her father's.

"Why Ranma…?" she repeated her earlier demand, self-control rapidly deteriorating.

"Why him but not mommy…?!"

-

"Yo, I'm Spike," another one of the unseen voices spoke up in an explicitly bored and pointedly arrogant tone. "Me and a couple of the guys live down by the abandoned warehouses a few blocks from here. There's always been good hunting around there. Especially the rats have always been really big and juicy and easy to catch. But lately a couple of them started to act… strange. They started to fight back, imagine that! A rat fighting a cat! Seems to me that most of the trouble is the fault of his one rat. It's not that she's a especially large rat and she doesn't look too tough either, but hey, you should see her fight, you'd almost think she's one of the Hunters herself. But that's not even the eerie part. The really eerie part  is… I… I'm starting to get turned on every time I run into her and… I mean, hey… ME… turned on by some bloody rodent…?!"

-

Huffing and drenched in sweat as if he had just finished the Tokyo Marathon, Kinyou leaned against a convenient wall, his hands still cramped around the handles of Kodachi's wheelchair.

"Did we…, did we loose her…at last…?" he panted, his breath coming in the erratic gasps typical for those uninitiated to the merits of long-distance running.

"Yep, seems like we got rid of her at the last crossing," Ukyou confirmed from her perch on top of the wall Kinyou leaned on. Jumping back to the ground she settled down next to him, a questioning look on her face.

"Say, now that we've successfully made our escape, would you mind telling me why what this was about?" she asked in a more than slightly sarcastic voice. "Not that I mind the workout, but we could have just walked out of there like normal people, you know."

"Oh… that…" Kinyou replied hesitantly, an embarassed expression spreading across his face. He let go of the wheelchair with one hand to massage his neck while obviously searching  for an adequate explanation.

After all, how was he to explain that Kodachi's childlike glee as he raced her through the hospital had enticed him to go faster and faster, just to keep hearing her laugh? Somehow he figured that Ukyou might be less than pleased with an explanation like that. Not to mention that he'd rather die than admit something like this in front of Kodachi.

"Can I plead temporal insanity?" he finally asked rather sheepishly. "After all, you know 'bout me and hospitals…"

"Yeah right…" Ukyou replied without sounding awfully convinced. Looking from Kinyou to Kodachi and back, she finally threw her hands in the air in a gesture of defeat. "Great, so now I've got _two_ nutcases on my hands!"

 Now usually Kodachi would have protested any implication of herself being anything less than a perfect example of a pureblooded Japanese woman of the highest standing. But for once she simply ignored the potential insult and turned around to favor Kinyou with a broad grin.

"There's no such thing as temporal insanity around THIS place," she told him teasingly. "So I guess it's 'Welcome to the club'."

"That the truth?" Kinyou replied with a shy grin, his attention completely on the face before him. "Do I have to be scared now…?"

Watching the interplay between those two and the absolutely untypical way Kodachi had acted the last couple of days, Ukyou wondered if that sentence didn't apply to her too. 

Maybe SHE should be scared.

For herself or rather for Kinyou, she couldn't tell.

Yet…

-

Sitting on the kitchen floor, Akane slowly rocked back and forth while holding her sobbing sister in a tight embrace. She had long ago given up on shushing her,  figuring that Kasumi simply had a lot of issues that needed to get flushed out of her systems, and a good bawl was a  pretty efficient way of getting the show on the road. 

Gently stroking Kasumi's hair, Akane hummed a simple little melody under her breath, something she remembered from when she was just a small kid, and waited for her sister to somewhat calm down. 

Now considering all those bottled-up emotions that the eldest Tendo girl had never bothered, or dared, to express, it might be considered a minor miracle that she stopped her helpless wailing before the sun painted the morning sky in reds and yellows. But after a mere hour and a half, Kasumi was once again coherent enough to feel pretty embarrassed about her situation.

"I… I'm sorry…" she mumbled, her voice hardly more than a horse whisper. "I shouldn't have…"

"Hey, it's okay…" Akane insisted, stopping her ministrations to wipe away a couple of her own tears.

"No! It's not!" Kasumi replied with unusual fervor, pushing herself out of the embrace to look her sister straight into the eyes. "I shouldn't have complained…"

"Kasumi!" Akane interrupted her flustered sister, getting a good grip of her shoulders and ready to shake some sense into her if the need should arise. "You're spouting gibberish! You wouldn't know how to complain if your life depended upon it. And the kami know, you'd have had reasons enough."

"Yeah, but.." Kasumi once more tried to insert her obviously unwanted apology when Akane shot her down with a slightly exaggerated glare.

"Tendo Kasumi," she chided her older sibling, "you stop it right there. You have never, will never and most probably don't even know how to do anything that warrants an excuse. For years on end you've comforted me, and Nabiki and even daddy whenever we goddamn felt like it. I don't see what's so bad about YOU needing some comfort for a change. And anyway…" she added with a wry grin while gently pushing some wayward strands of hair out of Kasumi's face, "since I couldn't sleep, this is probably one of the more productive ways to pass the night."

"Well maybe…" Kasumi agreed cautiously after staring at her sister in uncertainty for a moment.  "But even then I still shouldn't have mentioned mom…"

"Gee..." Akane sighed melodramatically, her gaze turning skywards. 

"You're really determined about chastising yourself tonight, hmm?" she asked rhetorically while a mocking little smile made its appearance on her lips. But the smile was short-lived, as she returned her gaze back to Kasumi, wearing a thoughtful, serious expression.

"Listen Kasumi, concerning mom …" she addressed her sister, an urgent tone underlying her voice. "Don't believe for just one second that she wouldn't have come back to us if there had been even the smallest chance for her to do so. But come on, you know the rules. Nobody comes back from the dead. Not me," she said, pointing at herself. "Not you," she continued, placing a finger on the tip of Kasumi's nose "…and even Nabiki wouldn't find a way around that one. That's just how things work around here. Once you're dead you're dead. And that's that."

"Wh… what?" Kasumi asked, quite shocked by this rather simple, but still somewhat unexpected, revelation. "B… but I thought that Ranma…" This was about as far as she came before Akane stopped her by the simple expenditure of a grin and a wave of her hand.

"Oh, Ranma…" she exclaimed as if the thought had only just occurred to her. "Don't worry about that jerk. He'll be back before you know it. Even if it's just _because _it's impossible. You know the kind of ego he's got…"

-

_" 'Allo" yet another voice spoke from the darkness. __"Mon nome is Don Pépé de la Marco. Je am _

le plus grande lover de la world. Je 'ave entertained plus de une thousand mademoiselles! Et…  je am une garbage addicted…"

-

Somewhere deep in the heart of China. Or maybe below the heart of China. Maybe it's the liver of China, or the kidneys. Some might even argue that it's probably closer to the colon of China, though those people get usually swiftly and justly dealt with if you know what I mean (nudge, nudge).

Anyway, somewhere deep in a part of China that's otherwise known as the Bayakala mountain-range, there's a bunch of villages that is theoretically ruled by the wise and just government in Beijing, and practically by a bunch of dried-up and tricky, but otherwise pretty efficient matriarchs.

The inhabitants of those villages are widely known as Chinese Amazons, even the male ones. As the name, and the aforementioned matriarchs, leads to expect, this place is ruled by females. And that's a good thing. At least for the females. 

Now in one of those villages there lived a young girl of exceptional beauty and skill. She had been abroad for a long time to fulfill a vow disguised in the form of a kiss and had only returned recently. And returned victoriously at that. That was one of the reasons why nobody dared mock her about her companion, a great warrior in his own right, but sadly all thumbs when around the beautiful amazon. The other reason was that this guy _was_ a great warrior in his own right, and while he was mostly blind as a bat, he had exceptional hearing and easily took offense in any kind of talk that might disgrace the girl he kept so stubbornly mooning over.

Now with people keeping their distance and the guy and the girl having a little privacy and a lot of leeway to do as they damn-well please, the both of them practiced what adolescent villagers all over the world got down to given half a chance.

Yep, they packed their stuff and got ready to leave this place _a.s.a.p_., that's exactly what they did.

-

"So let's see," a girl with lustrous lilac hair and wearing an ensemble that was closer to nightwear than anything expected on a renowned warrior stated with a checklist in hand. "Have you  packed the clothes I laid out?"

"Check…" the guy in the thick glasses simply replied while critically inspecting the left sleeve of his robe.

"Have you remembered to pack the toiletries ?" the girl continued.

"Check…" the guy replied once again, inspecting another opening of his robe.

"…rainwear?"

"Check…"

"…passports?"

"Check…"

"…preservatives?"

"Che…?!!!" the guy replied more or less automatically before his brain caught up with the question, resulting in a sudden coughing-fit and a major blush. "Preser…what!?!"

"Just checking if you're still paying attention," the girl stated with a satisfied smirk adorning her features before returning her attention  to the checklist.

"Do you have the present?" she continued all businesslike once more.

"Of course I do," the guy replied in an indignant tone of voice while letting a small and very colorful box slip back into the folds of his right sleeve, preferably without the girl noticing. "There wouldn't be much point in returning all the way to Nerima without it, ya?"

"Oh?" the girl inquired amusedly. "So you think that you already figured out my intentions?"

"Well, not the details," the guy admitted cautiously, "but I've got enough pieces together to know that you're either planning a very mean revenge against Akane, or you've gotten desperate enough to grab for any straw available. And personally, " he added, his smile a little lopsided, "I doubt you plan to trick Miss Tendo…"

"So you think that I'm reaching for straws?" the girl snapped, hands on her hips and her glare almost lethal in the point-blanc range of their faces. "Then why you're coming along, huh? So you can laugh at me if I fail?"

Now usually, the guy would have crumbled under the ferocity of the girl's stare, starting to babble about love, devotion and eternal worship towards the amazon on his part. Yet lately a couple of things had occurred in his life that had forced him to grow up a bit. One of them was that, on a good day, he sometimes managed to stand up to the girl of his dreams, waking hours, and the twilight between. And today proved to be a good day.

"That's not the reason, and you know that damn well," he managed to answer with only a minimal flinch and maybe a little perspiration. "I'm coming because I've got at least as many debts to pay over there as you do. And because you'd never be able to carry all this stuff alone that you keep insisting on taking along…" he added as if  that had just occurred to him.

The girl continued her short-distance glare for a little while, obviously enjoying the way she quickly eroded the bespectacled  serenity. But finally she broke out in a broad grin, bridging the small gap between their respective faces for a quick peck on the cheek.

"Maybe, just maybe, there's still hope for you, Mu Tzu…" she whispered, and coming from her, this was probably the greatest praise he could ask for.

"You know what, Shampoo?" he replied, his confidence soaring in heights unknown to him only weeks before. "I'm starting to believe that there's hope for all of us. The whole crazy bunch…"

_-_

Err, hello? Ahem, err… my name is err. Ranma. I… I shouldn't really be here tonight. I mean, nothing against you guys… it's just… weeell… I should be dead right now. I mean not dead like in dying… more like in STILL be dead… know what I mean?  And I shouldn't look like this too… I mean he, I've got enough trouble as is… and… and… I've always been really, really afraid… of… c… c…. ccaaatssss…..!!!

_Err… oops? I think I just wet the carpet…heh… Sorry 'bout that?_

----------

AN: Well well, another chapter done. What do you say now? Or rather, what do I say now? After all, I promised this chapter to be released around the end of april...? So much for the famous german precicion and punctuality... No wait, that was them guys from Switzerland. Sure, I've got a lot of wondrous and heartwrenching excuses for this delay, but bottomline is: I made a promise and didn't keep it, so there. I owe all of you an apology. Watch out. Listen. Here it comes. Any minute now... Sorry 'bout making you wait guys, honestly! 

(If you even noticed...:-))

Phew, now I feel better.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that the next chapter won't take half as long to write. 

Now for a couple of more personal notes to my dilligent (cough) readers:

Saggit: Concerning the Kuno matriarch, she didn't heal nothing as you see in this chamber. I only figured that there's simply no such thing as physical injury in Limbo. That's artistic freedom for you.

Lurker DQ: Trust me, I know about paramedics. Over here a guy has to choose whether he spends 12 months with the army or doing 'Public Services'. I chose option number 2. Baad choice from a 'Lazy-Bum'-point of view. (Hey, I'm talking Bundeswehr here, not Navy-seals...)

D-Chan: R+A coming up soon. Oh boy, are they ever coming up...(cough) Talking about updating, people are waiting for you too, you know? Err, maybe I should rather write a review then? (Ooops...)

Blaze Stryker: I think you're right. I probably should do something about Genma. Hey wait, I already HAVE something planned for Genma... Bwahahaha!!! And I think Pépé's pretty nifty too. :-)

Merlines Lil´ girl: Oh shit, oh shit oh shit..., you haven't held your breath all that time, have you? Hello...? 

lija: Fine that you like the interaction between Kinyou and Kodachi. There's a lot more were that came from. Oh dear, a whole lot more. I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't write sidestory just about those two, and maybe Ukyou too.

Jonas M.: Thanks. Simply put, but that's all there is to it. Your review came just at the right time. Well, yours and Suya's anyway. Oh, and you've got a point. I should probably change that summary. Like right now for example.

Suya: Well, the same goes for you, thankswise I mean. Your timely review gave this dying mind new nourishment (and a well placed kick up the arse). And concerning your questions, there's only one that won't be answered pretty soon anyway, and that's the one about Tatewaki's fate. He's not gonna pop up again in this storyline, except maybe in a sidestory. Why's that, you ask? One word: Ares... Bwahahahaha (TM).

To Jaywild1, Makotojs, Ryoshu and Sparta: Thanks to you too. I'd go into details but my fingers kinda bloody right now. Comes from typing the whole day I guess.

Oh, and TTrin? No mention for you. You botched the hot chocolate... BiiDaaah! ;-p

Cheerio folks, until these days,

RaMa

PS: Hey Jonas M., Suya, where did you get that braindead idea of reviewing a story that's been obviously abandoned for about half a year? Did you honestly believe that such a sloppy author like me is ever going to check his reviews again? Okay, so you were right, but basically that doesn't prove anything. Weeell... thanks anyway, once again...:-)


	17. Mother's Day

I want to live in fire

with all the taste I desire

it´s all good if you let me dive

with sharks on the ground

you loose your routine 

cause I found my path

what the hell are you trying

now I know there is something more

what happened to you

still staying on my path

are you still denying

now I know there is something more

that this is the truth

it´s all in you

what do you came for

what did you expect to find

so boundless I feel

and boundless all my fears

stop running back to old times

(Excerpt from: Path Vol. 2

Apocalyptica feat Sandra Nasic)

----------

SOUL HEIR 

----------

A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by Ralf Martin

-

Disclaimer: All characters featured in this wonderful work of art sprang originally from the fertile mind of Rumiko Takahashi. Except for a  few that sprang from my own, less prolific model. Trust me, you'll notice the difference. 

-

**CHAPTER 17:  Mother's Day**

-

Another sunrise.

A new day dawning.

The sounds of an early morning Nerima awakening from its well earned slumber. Of course a lot of those sounds resembled mumbled curses and shuffling feet, but concerning that department, Nerima simply had a very international flair.

And one of the most 'international' of residents happened to be a certain Tendo Nabiki.

"$%&/%&/)(//)=))?%%$" she declared sourly as she trudged towards the bathroom, one hand holding a change of clothes, the other a small black piglet. 

"I'm going to bleed you dry for this, you realize that?"

The small black piglet didn't appear too intimidated by this statement. Considering that most piglets were rather dumb if somewhat cute animals, this shouldn't pose much of a surprise to anyone. Except in the case of that special animal, which actually happened to be a well-known enchanted guy who usually got all too easily intimidated, abashed or otherwise diverted by a woman's attention.

And also considering that the girl in question happened to be Tendo Nabiki, local heavyweight champion when it came to intimidation, humiliation and general exploitation of male weaknesses.

One might theorize that, with Ryouga, him being the pig, embodying one extreme, and Nabiki being the exact opposite, this whole threatening business was so much overkill that it traveled the whole 360 degrees only to cancel itself out again.

One might theorize that Ryouga, with him not being much of a morning person himself, hadn't yet woken up enough to thoroughly acknowledge the immaculate perfection of Nabiki's threats.

Or one might notice the trickle of blood coming from the pig's snout and his somewhat dazed expression, probably caused by that rather skimpy little excuse for pyjamas that Nabiki wore.

A good thing that he was already being carried towards the bathroom, for he would have probably left stains all over the neighborhood if he had tried to find it all by himself. 

-

"Good morning Nabiki," came Kasumi's chipper voice from the kitchen. To someone who was, as had been mentioned before, not exactly a morning person, this was almost too cheerful to stand. Nabiki though bore it with traditional Japanese stoicism.

"Good morning Kasumi," she replied with minimal enthusiasm and a big yawn.

"Good morning Nabiki," came Akane's equally chipper voice from the kitchen.

Now while Kasumi's cheerfulness in the morning could sometimes be pretty irritating, the combination of Akane's voice and even the general direction of the kitchen were a deeply ingrained adrenaline producer for each and every living thing around Tokyo Bay. As well as for some of the other kind, too.

"G… Good morning Arrg… Akane…" Nabiki greeted with much trepidation, judging by the stammer and the sweatdrops. Turning stiffly towards the unexpected threat, formerly known as the breakfast table, she tried to single out any signs of lethal toxins or other seasonings her younger sister might feel inclined to give a try.

"… what are you doing up so early…?" she finished rather lamely.

"Why, help Kasumi with preparing breakfast of course…" Akane replied cheerily as she carried a tray into the room.  

An unusually evil grin crossed her features as she watched the rising dust cloud beyond the new Nabiki-shaped hole in the veranda-door.

"Gee," she complained theatrically to the world in general, " what's so bad about me setting the table?"

-

Over at the Kuno Mansion, breakfast was an affair far less exciting than at the Tendo's. A fact that the only person attending found rather disappointing, if not exactly unusual. It wasn't as if the girl currently seated at the gigantic table was all alone in the house. There were a couple of servants around. A cook, two or three chambermaids, a gardener as well as the majordomo. Somewhere there even had to be a chauffeur hiding. But not one of them would ever dream of joining her, for obvious reasons. Not that Kodachi felt inclined to invite any of them either. She wasn't _that _desperate. 

But idly stirring her café au lait, she wondered if it was an option to call the Tendos. Not to intrude upon them, mind you. Simply inquire if they had any news about Ranma. Maybe chat a little.

Or she could call the 'U-chan's'. Sure, Miss Kuonji was probably already busy preparing her enterprise for another busy day, but that also meant that Kinyou should be free to … whatever. Go shopping or on a walk or do anything else that young adults their age were supposed to for passing the day. Not that Kodachi was exactly a pro when it came to hanging out with friends. 

She was willing to learn though. Actually  she experienced such a strong urge to learn, it almost scared her. 

Maybe it was nothing more than one of her usual whims, and she had never before bothered to question those. If everybody sees you as a crazed freak, why bother to justify your actions?

Yet before she could make up her mind one way or the other, one of the maids, Yuni or Yuna or whatever her name, already announced a visitor, thus taking the decision from her hands.

-

It had taken some time, but finally Ryouga found his way out of the bath all on his own, scrubbed, scented and in freshly cleaned clothes, courtesy of one Tendo Kasumi. 

It hadn't even proven too hard, really. Finding the way out, not the part about body-hygiene. 

For, as Ryouga had discovered just recently, it was absolutely possible for him to make his way to the breakfast table at the Tendo's without taking the grand-tour through Europe and the African sub-continent first. This surprising feat was accomplished by simply ignoring all outside stimuli except for the sonar-signals of his growling stomach. It worked pretty well, at least on the forty-somewhat feet from bath to dining area.

So, with high spirits due to a good start of his day and a couple of 'good mornings', Ryouga made his way to the by now customary seat next to Nabiki's. Or what would have been the girl's seat, had she been present.  

Voicing his ensuing surprise with a simple 'Huh? Where's Nabiki?', Ryouga cast a questioning glance at Akane, who sat opposite of him. He didn't get a straight answer right away, that with the girl's mouth stuffed full with what was left of her second helping. She only graced him with an innocent, if rice-framed, smile and a noncommittal shrug.

Kasumi seemed strangely amused by the situation, a sound not quite unlike a giggle escaping from behind a coyly raised hand. As unlikely as the concept first appeared to Ryouga, it actually was a giggle, the sparkle in Kasumi's eyes as she trades glances with her youngest sister unmistakably betraying her mirth. 

Well, the guffawing and ensuing coughing sounds as she almost choked on her tea were pointers too.

So, with the two girls in attendance rolling on the floor in unexplained mirth and the patron of the house unavailable for comment behind his ever-present newspaper, Ryouga simply filed the situation under 'everyday madness' and helped himself to a portion of Kasumi's cooking. Well, hopefully Kasumi's cooking. 

He didn't get a chance though to inquire whether Nabiki's unexpected absence had anything to do with any form of culinary activity by Akane.

For just as he opened his mouth to voice some cautiously formulated, and hopefully mallet-proof question, the hair at the nape of his neck rose sky-high and a cold shiver ran down his spine. Currently he knew of only one thing in the vicinity that had such an effect on him. This was mostly thanks to his second identity as a baby-boar. And verily, the dark-furred predator that had haunted Ryouga's nightmares ever since their fateful first encounter chose this moment to crash the peaceful gathering.

-

Ryouga's nervousness actually wasn't unfounded. A tired cat is a creature easily irritated. A tired and hungry cat even more so. Especially in the case of a big black tomcat with the tendency to put scratches not simply on the furniture but rather through it.

Yet with Akane present, the chances of the feline taking a part in, or rather apart the, indoor decoration were rather slim.

It seemed that the miniature panther preferred to head straight for the girl's lap where he dropped down without further ceremony, rolled on his back and started to whine as pitifully as a whole sack full of kittens.

With his eyes repeatedly wandering between Akane's face and the contents of her bowl, it wasn't too hard for the girl to figure out what the animal in her care expected.

"Awww, will you look at that…," she remarked jokingly, referring to the prior conversation. "At least someone who appreciates my dishes…"

Or maybe not. Because as soon as she spoke those words, the cat's head snapped up, eyes wide and ears twitching. If there was any possibility for a black cat to blanch, this one just did. 

Before anyone had a chance to react, the animal was out of the lap and gone through the backdoor with  two mighty leaps onto and from Ryouga's head.

There was a clattering sound from outside, some hissing, and before any of the breakfast's participants could blink the cat had once again vanished.

-

Speeding down the corridor as if her wheelchair was on fire, Kodachi giggled insanely to herself. For once it wasn't her trademark insane laughter that sounded like a fork scratching across a chalkboard, but the standard –issue insane laughter of an adolescent girl planning some kind of mischief or another.

Crashing through the doors to her humble abode, a place that might have easily housed a third-world village community when push came to shove, she headed straight for her closet. It was one of those big, walkable kind of affairs. Or rollable under the actual circumstances. 

But size hardly mattered in this case, as every girl with the slightest sense of fashion will confirm. No matter how big the closet, or how many different clothes it contains, there's never anything to fit the occasion. Critically sifting through her private collection of haute couture, Kodachi thought back to the little conversation she'd had just minutes ago.

"Well…," her unexpected early-morning visitor who had turned out a certain Mr. Juusan, had replied to her cautious inquiries as to what he had planned for the day. "I thought that if you haven't got more important appointments, then you might give me the grand tour of the town. You know, show me some historical sites, places of interest…"

"…Manga shops, computer stores and Arcades…" she had hazarded, following a sudden insight into the male psyche.

"Only if you absolutely insist!" Kinyou had exclaimed, putting on such a wide-eyed expression of utter innocence that she hadn't been able to stop a giggle from escaping her.

"Maybe I will," she had stated while tapping a finger to her chin as if in thought. "But only if we also visit a couple of establishments suiting a more refined taste..."

"Sounds like a plan to me," the guy had happily agreed,  giving her the thumbs-up. "So when we're gonna start?"

"As soon as I slipped into something more … appropriate…" she had replied, getting out of the chair to present Kinyou with a better view of her silken morning robe and the nightgown beneath. And the silhouette of what was beneath that 'beneath', that with the way she had coincidentally positioned herself between her visitor and the window.  

-

Back down at the dining table, it had taken Kinyou almost a minute to remember how to breathe, so engaged had he been in fighting back the lava-like blood that tinted his cheeks and threatened to turn his nose into Mt. Krakatao, and maybe also erupting certain other parts of his anatomy while already at it.

But when, after a last wink back over her shoulder,  Kodachi was out of his sight, swaying walk that defied the cast on her leg and all, he somehow found the strength to get his lungs back in working order. And as he rested his still boiling forehead in his suddenly clammy hands it dawned on him, that with the oxygen slowly returning to his brains, that either he'd bring this girl to stop teasing him like that, or being friends with her might prove a tad bit hard…err, …  more complicated than he had bargained for. 

-

"I'm not talking to you," Akane exclaimed as she walked down the street, factually contradicting her own words. "You insulted my cooking! I mean I'm used to this from my family, but YOU..?!"

Turning around with her hands on her hips, she glared at the cat that had followed her all the way from back home.

"It's not like you ever tried any of it in the first place," she continued heatedly. "And just for the records, I'm not going to give you a chance for it either. Ever. No matter how much you're going to whine."

The cat simply stared back at her from its position on the ground, head cocked to the side and obviously rather unimpressed by the threat. It seemed to ponder something, or at least that was what the twitching tail and thoughtful expression implied to Akane.

Then suddenly it leaped forward and up, right at the surprised girl's chest, forcing her back a couple of steps.

That's how Akane suddenly found herself with her arms full of several pounds of purring fur, the cat's cheek rubbing against her own in a unmistakable display of affection. Needless to say that Akane's heart started to form a rose-colored pool around her feet in mere seconds. 

"Aww… I'm sorry,… I'm sorry…" she reassured the feline she held in a firm embrace with one hand free to stroke the animal's back. A fact greatly appreciated by her passenger. "Yeah, I like you too… Even if you've got a talent of getting on my nerves."

That remark seemed to quench the purring, just as it silenced whatever other thoughts the girl might have liked to express. No surprise here, considering who else fit that description perfectly. 

Standing rigid, she held on to the cat tightly, while the animal did its damn best to melt into her, not complaining once about the force Akane applied unintentionally.

"Ranma's going to come back soon, isn't he?" she finally whispered with only a small hint of insecurity. But a hint nonetheless. "He always kept his promises, no matter what... didn't he?" 

These questions had of course been rhetorical in nature, yet when the cat seemed determined to dislocate its own head by nodding vehemently, Akane couldn't stop a grateful smile from showing up on her face. 

"Sure thing," she agreed with somewhat renewed vigor, "he's gonna be back soon."

Her gaze turned more contemplative, as she suddenly seemed to remember something important. "Say, didn't the doctor say that I'll have to take good care of YOU for that to happen?"

With that she turned on her heels, setting out towards her original destination, with the cat still nestled in her arms.

"Come on," she told the affectionate feline, "maybe Auntie Nodoka has got some proper food for a poor, poor starving kitty…"

-

"So let me get this straight," the officer at the Lan-Ding airfield in the southwestern part of the Quinhai province remarked in an annoyed voice. 

"You want to send these two animals," with that he motioned towards two cages standing on his counter, one containing a lavender colored cat, the other a white duck, "and this casket," with that he pointed to a small wooden and heavily sealed barrel, " to Japan. Tokyo, to be exact. Via express-airmail. Duty-free since you claim them to be gifts. But of course you'll only pay standard fare. Have I forgotten anything?"

"Well yes," the strange old crone replied happily as she balanced atop some gnarled walking stick across the counter. "These animals have to be fed three times a day and put up save from drafts. You didn't mention that."

That did it for the usually polite and oh so friendly official. No wait, that one was on holiday. This official was always a short-tempered hysteric with an overly inflated sense of self-importance. 

"You've got to be out of your mind," the officer balked in a voice that anybody more knowledgeable of the neighboring Amazon tribe would have instantly interpreted as a death wish. "That would be far better treatment than most of our human passengers get. Even IF they pay the appropriate brib… err fees. What gave you the idea that Chin-Air would make an exception for the idiotic requests of an old gnat like you, granny?"

Those words were insulting for sure, as had been the intention. Still they didn't exactly have the desired effect. Much to the officer's irritation they only produced an amused smirk on the wrinkled face of the ancient woman.

"Why don't you just ask your supervisor?" she asked slyly, looking right past him. "I'm sure he'd love to explain some of the more intricate local customs to you…"

And that was when the officer first noticed the hyperventilating noises that his boss produced while breathing down his back.  And all of a sudden he had this sinking feeling in his stomach. Like the one you get when you recognize that the funny looking guy in the brightly checkered jacked you just made a crack about in the elevator is the new manager your company put in direct charge of your division. 

And he really, really loves his stupid jacket.

-

The doorbell was ringing.

Well, fancy that.

There had been a time when that sound would have had her out of the kitchen in the wink of an eye. And she would have welcomed anyone that showed up on her doorstep, be it neighbor, salesman or Mormon.

And she would never show her disappointment that it wasn't her son returning home. 

Again.

And her husband.

Again.

And still she would show great hospitality to her visitors, even if she refused adamantly to buy or sign anything, by use of her ancestral blade if need be.

But she would always do so with a smile.

And hold on for the next time the doorbell was ringing.

This had been her habit for years on end.

But now there was no longer a point in doing so, was there?

Her husband was upstairs, locking himself up in the room that should have been their son's.

Should have been, if their son still needed a room.

But the boy had his own place now.

Completely furnished with all he'd ever need.

An urn.

A marker.

But no doorbell.

He'd never need no doorbell again.

And neither did she.

-

"Nekko no Baka! Will you come back here?" Akane exclaimed as she sped after the unruly feline. 

A moment ago the animal had rested comfortably in her arms while she rang the doorbell at the Saotome's residence, without getting any reaction though. Then suddenly its head had come up, ears twitching, and  the next instant the cat was on the ground and speeding around the corner of the house as if its tail was on fire.

Akane, never one to be left behind easily and possessing tons of experience in chasing after people, kept hot on its tail of course. That's why she rounded the corner towards the backyard just in time to see the cat pounce through the open backdoor of the house, onto the kitchen counter beyond and straight at the sole figure standing there. Akane let out a cry of warning, but it was already too late.

The figure in the house got knocked over backwards with a very female shriek and, among many clattering sounds, fell from view. Akane, fearing the worst since she remembered the destruction in doctor Tofu's clinic only too well, crashed through the backdoor armed and ready to rescue the assumedly helpless Nodoka. For what other woman should be found in the kitchen of the Saotome's house? 

Though when she cleared the porch and got a good look at the inside she froze in her tracks, panic forgotten for the moment. There sat Nodoka, as expected, with her derrière on the ground, her back to the sink and the big cat all over her. But the large animal was simply nuzzling her cheek like there was no tomorrow and making purring noises. No real threat there.

If there was anything dangerous at all then it was those little pangs of jealousy that nagged at Akane herself. She had no idea where they came from, but she chose to ignore them, for the moment anyway. Instead she silently looked on as Nodoka went all 'ooh' and 'aah' over her unexpected visitor, stomaching the initial shock surprisingly well as she stroked the affectionate animal's fur expertly. 

After a few minutes of watching the exchange silently, Akane finally saw it fit to make her presence known.

"So," she remarked in an amused tone of voice, "seems like you two hit it off pretty well."

Nodoka's head snapped up, her surprise evident as she looked up towards the backdoor with eyes wide open.

"Who...?" she began before she recognized her visitor against the backdrop of the open door.

"Oh it's you, Akane. How nice to see you. If I had known that it was you at the door…"

While talking, Nodoka struggled to get back on her feet. Not an easy task while holding the not inconsiderable weight of the cat in her arms. Akane quickly came forward to assist her with a steadying hand, and with joined forces they managed to get Nodoka upright without dropping her passenger in the process.

"It's okay," Akane assured while steering Nodoka towards the main room. "I'm used to letting myself in. And that cat wouldn't know privacy if it got bit by it."

"Oh," was all that Nodoka replied to that, her attention freshly directed back to the feline. Stroking the soft fur as she sat down with Akane's assistance, her face took on a thoughtful expression.

"So, this is your cat?" she asked with only the slightest hint of surprise.

"Not really," Akane replied honestly, "I'm only taking care of him for a while."

"I thought about buying a pet too," Nodoka continued as if she hadn't noticed the answer. "It's supposed to help with…" She stopped the sentence there, as if unsure how to continue. Akane though understood what it was that she wanted to say.

"With the loneliness?" she offered helpfully.

Nodoka answer was nothing but a slight nod, but her bleak expression and the possessive way she held on to the cat told an eloquent tale to anyone who bothered to look.

Akane didn't think long about her next actions. She simply encircled the woman in a tight embrace, careful to avoid crushing the cat in the process. 

"Why didn't you visit us, Auntie?" she chided the older woman. "Why did you hole yourself up here if you feel like that?"

"I just couldn't…" Nodoka explained half-heartedly. "I wanted to, but I couldn't. I had been looking forward to finally calling you daughter so much and then… and then…" She sniffed once, her self-control obviously crumbling under the pressure of all those repressed emotions. "I thought I finally had my family back. Not just that, but your family too, and we would all have been one big family, and then suddenly… suddenly I don't have anything. Anything at all…."

It was obvious that Nodoka fought valiantly to hold back the tears, but Akane was in no mind to let her get away with that. Instead she took the woman's face in her hands and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Call me daughter," she commanded with a serious expression.

"What..?" Nodoka asked in utter stupefaction.

"I told you to call me daughter," Akane elaborated as if talking to a child.

"I don't understand…"

"Just do it," Akane urged on, "please?"

Not seeing any real reason to deny the favor she had been asked, and since she had expressed the wish to do so herself, Nodoka did what had been demanded.

"Daughter…," she said hesitantly at first, but soon with growing fervor. "My… daughter. You may be  thickheaded and.. and impulsive and tomboyish but… but you're everything I'd ever wish for as a daughter…" 

Whimpering quietly she reached out with the one hand not obstructed by either hug nor cat to wipe away the trickle of salty fluid that had started a trip down her cheek. She might as well have tried to stop a river with a spoon.

"Oh Kami,…" she wailed as the dams burst and she returned Akane's hug with surprising strength , forcing the poor cat to flee her arms. "I've missed you so much, Akane. I've missed you all so much…"

"We missed you too," the girl replied as she gently rocked the sobbing woman back and forth. "You don't have the slightest idea how much we've missed you…" 

And then something occurred to her, something she hadn't really thought about. But if this woman called her daughter, then it was only fair if Akane went all the way and called her something appropriate too. Like for example: 

"… mom."

-

It had taken Nodoka the better part of an hour to relieve her aching heart, and then about half of that again to fall into an exhausted slumber. But finally she was lying on the mats, tucked in safely  under a blanket and hopefully dreaming something nice for a change, and two heads shot up towards the stairs, with murderous intent clearly visible in their eyes.

"I'll go fetch Genma. You stay here and watch auntie, or… mom… or whatever." Akane ordered, looking down at the cat. Or where the cat had just been a split-second before.

Shortly after that all hell broke loose.

-

Genma Saotome was a simple man. Most of his life revolved around three simple things. Eat, drink and sleep.

If he could have had everything his way then he would forever have only spent exactly the least amount of energy necessary for the next circle of eat, drink and sleep. He never foraged, he never saved for tomorrow, he only lived for the present day. 

If there had ever been an element that involved long-term planning in his life then it had been his son's future. His son's future as the heir of the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu, to be exact. It could be safely stated that if Ranma had shown no interest in martial-arts, then Genma would have been royally screwed. But luckily for all involved, Ranma had not only shown an interest in the art, but probably one of the biggest gifts for it that ever graced the world with its presence. There simply seemed no end to what this boy could learn. Katas, techniques, whole schools of fighting. The boy sucked them up and came back for more. It seemed like there was nothing that could ultimately stop the boy from going all the way to the top. 

From becoming the very top.

And since there was no stopping the boy, Genma became more and more reckless with his methods of training. Why bother with precautions if the boy's not gonna need them anyway?

And didn't it prove true, too? From cliff diving with tied hands via barehanded shark hunting to the Nekko-Ken training. The boy survived anything. Not without scratches maybe, but such was life. Fraught with peril and all.

But that way of thinking was exactly why, when Ranma so suddenly and unexpectedly got himself ripped to pieces, Genma  couldn't cope with it in the least. 

Ranma couldn't die. That had been cheating. And cheating, while being something he frequently did, was nothing that Genma tolerated when it happened to him.

And if his own son cheated on him like that, with his stupid friends and this stupid town and basically the whole fricking world plotting along to ruin his life then he, Genma Saotome, would simply not play along anymore. He'd rather sit up here all day, pitying himself silly and only going downstairs for the meals.

There, that would teach the world what it got from cheating on Genma Saotome.

Teach it a lesson it wouldn't forget.

Hah! 

-

While Genma Saotome was contend to prophesize how the world quivered in fear of the mighty Saotome's revenge, he should have better foreseen the angry feline shooting straight towards him like a fur-covered missile.

But since Genma didn't, he was taken completely by surprise when she door suddenly exploded from its hinges and smacked into his face. This was the gentle part. The rest was all pains and scratches and curses unfathomable.

-

Akane couldn't see what happened, that with her still being located in the main room, but the sounds drifting down spoke a very clear language for someone as experienced in inhouse fighting as her.

It spoke of unhinged doors, caved-in closets, shredded futons and a doomed desk. And it spoke of how something big had just crashed through a windows of the upper floor, with a toe-curling scream that was ended only by a dull thud as it hit the ground.

After that there was silence.

-

The cat wasn't stupid. It knew that a little drop like that couldn't hurt the fat guy.  It also knew that the fat guy was a sneaky one. So the cat was cautious. It dropped from the ledge to a point well out of reach of the fat guy. The fat guy didn't react. So the cat came closer. It wasn't a stupid cat. Unfortunately though, like any other feline, it was curious. And we all know what that did to the proverbial cat.

-

If Genma Saotome had learned one thing during the numerous fights in his long career as a martial-artist it was this: If you can't fight it, play dead. 

It was usually only a matter of time until your foe either loses interest or gives you an opening because he gets careless. So Genma Saotome did once again what Genma Saotome did best. Not move a muscle.

Lying in his formfitting depression in the ground, his patience was finally rewarded when he heard the soft padding of paws coming nearer and nearer.

He had no idea where this monster of a cat had come from, but he had a very precise idea where it would end up if it only came a tad bit closer. In a shallow grave in the backyard.

A little closer…

Don't breathe…

Here it comes…

Suddenly Genma's hand lashed out, with a speed that belied his massive frame, and successfully managed to get a hold on the surprised feline. The animal struggled of course against the man, but unable to apply its own superior dexterity and speed, and being no real competition against his greater strength and massive weight, this was nothing more than a token resistance. Having his first real chance to take a good look, Genma practically sneered at the cat he had pinned down.

"Now what do we have here?" he asked in the classical way of the stage-villain. "A little kitty. And how comes that a little kitty is attacking me in my own house? Huh, how comes?"

Of course he didn't get anything but angry hisses as answer, but the question had been rhetorical in nature anyway.

"Well, seems to me that this is a rabid little kitty," he continued tauntingly. "And you know what they do with rabid little kitties, don't you?" He moved one hand cautiously so that he had it near the cat's throat without losing any of his hold on the irate animal. 

"They snap their necks, that's what they do…"

Before he could prove though whether this was just an empty threat or an actual intention, a peeved-sounding voice called out from behind him.

"Don't you dare touch that cat, pop," it said while gracing Genma's backside with such a mighty kick that he skidded all through the yard.

"If ya wanna fight, then ya better pick someone ya own size."

-

To Akane, Genma's expression as she addressed him in such a sloppy way had been absolutely priceless. As the kick propelled him through the air, he made a face as if his late son had just jumped out of the woodworks. Which was just as well. One of these days someone had to carefully point him towards the fact that Ranma would be coming back. Oh well, maybe not too carefully. He sure was due to a little teasing, the big oaf.

"What's the matter oyaji,," she asked tauntingly as Genma skidded to a stop. "Gotten rusty in your old days, have you? You should have seen that coming from a mile away."

"Huh?" was Genma's intelligent response as he leaned upside down against the fence. "What are you doing here?"

"Oooh, sooo nice to see you too," Akane drawled sarcastically as she stalked closer. "And as to your question, I simply thought I'd pay a visit to my in-laws. Have a look at how you guys are holding up."

"Oh, I'm just peachy," Genma replied with a bitter tint to his voice. He was still propped up the wrong way round, with his arms crossed and his head cocked to the side. "It's not like anything big happened lately that could put my life to shambles. So why are you asking?"

"Gee, pop, one could think that you're the only one who lost someone," the girl chided as she placed her hand on her hips. "Here's news for you. You're not! There's other people who miss Ranma every bit as much as you do! So stop moping around like a little baby, will ya?"

"Oh yeah?" Genma retorted angrily as he rolled back onto his feet in a surprisingly graceful movement. "And the next thing you'll probably tell me that YOU miss him too, huh? When you're probably glad that you're finally rid of him!"

The moment those words had left his mouth, even as dumb as he could sometimes be, Genma realized that he had just said something really, really stupid. Of course, he'd have to be already dead to not be affected by the look the girl gave him as she practically glowed with righteous anger.

"You know old man," she told him in a voice  so eerily calm, it would have scared even the most valiant of hearts. Which, by the way, Genma's feeble little pump definitely was not. "I think it's time that someone teaches you some manners…"

The irritated cat by her feet couldn't have put it more eloquently.

-

A long time ago, in a land far east of the setting sun, there once lived a martial-artist of big ambitions, but sadly not enough wisdom to go with them. Not to mention a general lack of devotion, diligence and discipline.

And yet he could be caused to surpass even the greatest expectations, if only there was the right incentive.

Like when people expected him to be a thoughtless and dangerous sensei, and then he came up with the Nekko-Ken training, claiming it to be for the best of his own offspring no less.

Usually the reason that he went beyond his limits was an outside source though. 

Few were the times when the reason was one of his family, even if it did happen sometimes.

A far more common reason came in the form of an ugly, dried up dwarf with an egocentric and nasty attitude. When it came to being a thoughtless and dangerous sensei, then this creature known otherwise as Happosei was easily up to par with our dear martial-artist. The general difference being that Happosei knew exactly what he was doing instead of stumbling blindly through a minefield during an air raid while carrying a load of unsheathed blades. Actually, this was neither a metaphor nor an allegory. It's been plain stupid though.

And finally, and this is the classic case of 'last but not least', are all those thousands and hundreds of thousands of people that held one kind of a grudge against him or another. It is truly amazing how fast a man can run, how high he can jump and in what Zen-like silence he can stay hidden beneath the foliage if only a large enough crowd was out for his skin. Oh, and did this man ever have a talent to endear himself to the masses. 

So it came that, while he was probably one of the laziest men in human history, he still got in lots and lots of training.

He got tough, even as he stayed spineless. 

He got strong, even as he stayed faithless. 

He got fast, even as he stayed dense.

And what a good thing that was, because otherwise he might not have survived the brutal beating he was just receiving.

-

When Nodoka slowly awoke from her unscheduled slumber, down there on the floor of her own living room, she felt strangely out of place. The funny thing was that this still felt actually a lot better than what she had gone through the last few days. On second thought, maybe it wasn't so funny after all. But that didn't change the fact that she felt strangely invigorated. As if not only a burden had been taken off her shoulder, but also she had been given a gift.

A gift from her daughter?

Or the gift of a daughter?

Oh yes, now she remembered again. Akane had insisted that she called her by this title.

What else had she said? There had been something about Ranma that she had mentioned.

The memories of the last hours were hazy at best, too much emotional turmoil having messed them up almost beyond use. But there had been one thing that Akane had whispered over and over as she had held Nodoka tight. One thing that hadn't made sense then, that had sounded too much like a pleasant lie or the crazy babbling of a heartbroken girl. 

What had it been?

Raking her brain as she might, it just didn't come back to her. But how could that be when Nodoka understood at the same time that it had been ultimately important? It somehow gave her the urge to bash her head against the wall repeatedly, simply in the hope of dislodging the missing piece of information from wherever it had gotten stuck.

Now that was an untypical thought for the prototypical traditional lady if ever she had one. But even so, Nodoka simply saw it as a sign that things were changing. And from her point of view, any change was for the better.

So when she noticed the sounds of fighting from her own backyard, she wasn't too worried either. Instead she walked out onto the porch with only a slightly curious expression on her face. 

She got greeted by a most unusual sight.

Her husband, whose face she hadn't seen all that much lately except for during the meals, not that it would have been all too recognizable at the moment with all those bruises he sported, seemed in a little quandary.

It seemed that he had somehow gotten himself on the receiving end of Akane's mallet. While this could well prove to be unpleasant, the girl alone shouldn't have posed too much of a problem for an accomplished martial-artist of Genma's caliber. 

And somehow he had gotten himself on the receiving end of the cat's claws. As with the mallet, this shouldn't have posed too much of a problem for him.

But both of them combined gave Genma a taste of what it would feel like to get initiated into the mystical art of  the Cat-Girl-Ken.

Maybe he hadn't been thrown into a pit first, but it looked that the unholy terror was already well under development.

And as the girl bashed and the cat slashed and Genma crashed, Nodoka stood at the sidelines and watched with a strange sense of fulfillment. Standing on the porch and watching her husband getting beaten up felt almost as if her son was still with them. As long as she had been reacquainted with her son after his long absence, he had always taken great care to beat up his father in their daily sparring-sessions. Though back then, Genma had usually given almost as good as he got, while the current fight was more on the lines of a massacre. 

Admittedly, there had been times when Ranma had been a little overenthusiastic in his spars, too. Especially after he had come back from China…

After Ranma came back…

Ranma… back…

…

…

Oh Megami-Sama…!

-

It had been a great day for Kodachi and Kinyou. They skipped through two different malls, avoided a museum  by unambiguous vote, marked off most of the historical places by using one of the telescopes on top of Nerima-Tower and then took a break at a restaurant right in the middle between their respective financial means.

Actually, Kinyou had insisted that they took some time out, after it had become pretty obvious that Kodachi's injured leg had begun to cause her problems. Not that the girl had mentioned it, a fact that Kinyou didn't really understand. He figured though that it had something to do with pride and being a martial-artist.

The lunch break seemed to have worked though, as Kodachi appeared a lot more energetic afterwards. For a while at least. But two hours of shopping or so afterwards the problematic leg made itself known again, and it seemed worse for the wear, too. So they decided to call it a day and headed back home. They didn't come too far though before Kodachi almost fell to her knees with a unladylike yelp as the leg gave out under her. Luckily for them there was a bus stop nearby, with a bench where they could sit down and rest for a while.  

It was here that they sat and wondered what they should do now.

It was here that Kinyou actually found the courage to ask something that had bothered him for a while.

"Can't I just carry you home?" he asked the girl next to him. She looked up at him from where she sat cursing her feet with a confused expression.

"Excuse me?" she asked bemusedly, one eyebrow cocked.

"Carry you," he repeated while trying to look as nonchalantly as possible. "You know, since you can't walk at the moment I could maybe repay the… favor… from the other night."

"The favor?" Kodachi echoed, not quite catching his drift yet.

"Well yes," Kinyou repeated, his poise slowly eroding. "You remember how you, well, carried me, ahem, over to the Tendos? Across the roofs?"

Kodachi didn't answer this at once, though if Kinyou hadn't been so nervous himself, he might have noticed a slight reddish hue covering her cheeks.

"My, Kinyou," Kodachi  finally returned the question, "Do you honestly think you can take me across the roofs?"

"No, no," Kinyou contradicted, hastily trying to clarify his offer. "I couldn't do that. I'd drop off if I tried, I mean, if I got up there with you at all and … and…" His face turned a deeper shade of crimson and very apologetic. "I can only do piggyback."

"You've got to be joking," Kodachi stated incredulously after a moment's stunned silence. "I can't be seen carried around like that. What if anyone recognizes me? The Kunos are a very old and distinguished…"

That was about as far as she came before Kinyou interrupted her.

"No one's going to recognize you," he insisted with a firmness that surprised both of them. Pulling off his ever-present cap, he put it on top of Kodachi's lustrous black mane. Then he stood up and shrugged off his coat, only to place it on the stunned girl's shoulders. 

"See," he concluded as he inspected the effects of his image counseling. "No one's gonna identify you as a Kuno in those…"

-

"Akane?" Nodoka's voice called out across the yard. When the preoccupied girl didn't react at once she called out once again. "Akane?!"

"Just a moment," came the answer at last, as the girl put the finishing touches to the plate of Sushi that was once recognizable as Nodoka's husband. With a wide swing of her mallet she lobbed the result of her redecorations right before the older woman's feet. Shouldering her favorite weapon, she and the cat followed close behind, but at a more leisurely pace.

"Sorry for the mess," she stated with far less remorse than the mere words might lead to expect. "But the old man needs a good beating once in a while."

It looked like that apology had been unnecessary though, judging by the way Nodoka simply stepped around the heap she had once married, and intercepted Akane on her way. 

"Akane," she spoke in an urgent tone of voice, "what you said about Ranma, about him coming back, that… that wasn't really serious, right? Right?"

"Huh?" came Akane's brilliant response, "Oh that. No, that's absolutely serious."

"But… but that's not possible!" Nodoka insisted almost hysterically. "Nobody can come back from the dead! It's just not done! It's just…"

Stepping around the babbling woman, Akane walked over to were Genma lay and grabbed him by one ear, thus lifting his head from the ground.

"Hey, old man, wakey wakey…" she said while shaking the ear, and thus the head.

"Whzzhp?" came the unintelligible reply.

"Ever seen someone come back from the dead?"

"S'ffr'n" was Genma's half-conscious reply.

"Yeah right, Saffron." Akane agreed in a tone that implied surprise, even though she had expected the answer.

"He's been that Phoenix-god that Ranma had to kill back in China," she clarified in case Nodoka didn't remember the name.

"And say, " she asked, returning her attention back to the guy that belonged to the ear in her hand, "if there was anyone who could figure out how to do exactly that trick just by seeing it done once, who'd that be?"

"Ranma 'f 'course…" Genma responded in an exasperated mumble, as if it was sheer insolence to interrupt his coma for something that should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"How stupid of me, of course that's Ranma" Akane agreed wholeheartedly. She let Genma's head drop back to the ground and patted him on the head like a good dog. Then she stood up again and turned back towards the confused Nodoka.

"So you see," she stated triumphantly, " it's just like the old man said. Saffron knew how to come back from the dead. And Ranma can best him anytime, anywhere and in anything."

"Meoww!" sagely added the cat that sat down by her feet. 

-

"I tell you, people are looking!"

"Of course they're looking. You don't see girls getting carried around like this any day."

"But.. then they're going to recognize me."

"No they won't. Not in your current getup anyway."

"But I'm sure that someone will recognize …."

"Not if you don't scream it out to the world like that…"

"But I'm positive…"

"Kodachi!"

"What…?"

"Stop worrying, okay? We're almost there anyway."

"Oh… okay."

…

"Kinyou?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"Hey, it's nothing, really."

"Still, thank you…"

…

…

"Hey Kodachi..?"

"Hmm...?"

"I… had fun today…"

"Yeah… me too."

"… and I was kinda wondering… if you've got nothing planned for tomorrow…"

…?

"…would you mind if I came over again..?"

…

"Hello? Kodachi?"

"…you, … you wouldn't mind..?"

"Huh? That's more or less what I've just been asking you, remember?"

"…oh…"

…

…

"So… what you're saying..?"

"I'd be… happy if you came over."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Yay!!"

-

And somewhere in an abandoned house, an old woman was holding court over her cats.

She heard the reports about the latest addition to her minions, a certain doctor's love live and what generally happened around her little fiefdom.

And she waited, more or less patiently, for the pieces of this puzzle to fall into position.

And for one special delivery.

It should already be on its way from one of the remote parts of China.

Somewhere in the Quinghay province.

Or more precisely:

From Jusenkyou.

Author's Notes:

Oi, what's this. A new chapter of Soul Heir before the turn of the century? Hah, I bet nobody expected this.

Which is just as well, since I need every little moment of surprise to keep the story interesting. 

Oh well, I hope, as always, that you liked the chapter. I believe it's getting obvious by now that things start to come together, and I'm positive that the whole thing should be finished by the time I reach chapter 20.

I know, I keep saying stuff like this all the time, but I'm serious. I'm going to finish this story sometime soon. I'm not going to rush it though.   I want to really enjoy the Grand Finale after all just as much as you guys do. :-)

One more thing though.

Concerning my reviewers, I'm sorry that I don't address all of you folks personally. But at the moment I'm more in the mood for writing Chapter 18. I hope you've got that E-Mail though. :-)

Just some choice words for whoever wants to know:

- I'm not stealing from Pratchett and Adams, I'm practically robbing them blind.

- Yes, I do confuse words that sound alike. So do half of America's college students. And I at least have the excuse that half of my English lesson came through MTV-Germany.

- Trust me, you CAN pierce someone's chest with a Katana. Wanna try?

- Sorry, but no support group this time. They only meet once a week.

- Thanks guys, all of you. And I do mean ALL. Because I prefer to be flamed by the Paladins of strange gods rather than being ignored completely. Now that would be frustrating.

So there, 'nuff said,

See you soon,

RaMa


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